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Caitlin Clark outplays Cameron Brink for career-high 30, but red-hot Sparks overwhelm Fever from long distance

Caitlin Clark outplayed Cameron Brink, but the Brink's Sparks were the better team Monday night. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark outplayed Cameron Brink, but Brink’s Sparks were the better team Monday night. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark had the best offensive game of her young WNBA career, but it wasn’t enough for the Indiana Fever to overcome a spate of turnovers and red-hot 3-point shooting by the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Sparks rode a 14-of-23 effort (60.9%) from 3-point distance to a 88-82 win Monday to deny the Fever their second win of the season.

Clark finished with a career-high 30 points alongside five rebounds and six assists. She shot 7 of 16 from the field and 3 of 10 from 3-point distance while scoring 13 points from the free throw line. But her seven turnovers repeatedly cost the Fever as they attempted to thwart the Sparks’ offensive onslaught.

Kia Nurse countered with 22 points while hitting 5 of 6 3-pointers to lead the Sparks offense. Aari McDonald added 21 points off the Los Angeles bench while hitting 3 of 5 3s. Cameron Brink, who was selected second in April’s draft behind Clark, tallied three points, three rebounds and two blocks in a step back from a sensational start to her WNBA career.

After trailing at halftime, 37-32, the Fever took control of the game, 43-37 with an 11-0 run to start the quarter. But the Sparks countered with an 11-0 run to end the quarter sparked by 3-pointers on three straight possessions.

The Sparks then seized control with a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to open a 76-63 advantage. The Fever would answer with an 8-0 run to cut their deficit to 79-73, but they didn’t have enough to close the gap down the stretch.

The loss dropped the Fever to 1-7 as Clark continues to face growing pains eight games into her professional career. The scoring that was her trademark at Iowa has come in spurts. It’s been accompanied by a high turnover ratio.

Monday was the fourth time that Clark’s scored 20-plus points with the Fever. It’s also the fourth time she’s committed six-plus turnovers. Through eight games, she’s averaging 17.3 points, 6.3 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 5.5 turnovers. She’s shooting 38.1% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point distance.

The win was the second of the season for Los Angeles, which improved to 2-4. It avenges an earlier loss to the Fever that marked the first win of Clark’s career. Brink has been a bright spot in the tough start to the Sparks season. She’s now averaging 9.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and a league-high 3 blocks per game while shooting 52.8% from the field and 41.2% from 3-point distance.