Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever snapped their two-game losing streak in the first game of the Commissioner's Cup against the Atlanta Dream, as Clark believes that the team should take some pride in being the reigning in-season tournament champions.

The Fever won the first-ever Commissioner's Cup last season by defeating the Minnesota Lynx 74-59, with the All-Star guard being sidelined.

With the star-studded lineup they possess, Clark spoke ahead of the game that there should be no reason not to defend the title, adding that it is part of the bigger picture, getting back to winning ways.

“I think for us, go out there and defend our title. We were the Commissioner’s Cup champions last year. We should have some pride in that.” Clark said.

The quest for going back-to-back has started in the right manner, as Clark and the Fever comfortably moved past Angel Reese and the Dream, 83-71.

As expected, it is already widely reported to be one of the most-watched games of the season, thanks to the continuity of the Clark-Reese rivalry.

Clark had a good game, scoring 17 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and dishing out 8 assists. Reese had 11 points, 3 assists, and, of course, 10 rebounds.

But Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell stole the spotlight from both with 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting, 3-of-4 from outside the arc, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds. She also joined the WNBA's 5000-point club after this performance.

After the game, Mitchell spoke about the team's turnaround performance after what was the worst loss of their season against the expansion side Portland Fire.

Kelsey Mitchell Believes the Fever's Energy Has Shifted

The Fire made the Fever look like amateurs in a 100-84 win on Saturday. Clark had one of her worst games of all time, scoring just 6 points.

But the reigning Commissioner's Cup champions have come back in some fashion, and the game's leading scorer, Mitchell, believed that the Portland game helped fuel their quest to win while performing well.

"I think it speaks to culture. I think over the last couple of days from our last day in Portland, from the time we hopped on the plane as a group, our energy shifted as a group," Mitchell said of the team's turnaround performance.

"And I think that when you have hard conversations as a group, you pour into one another, you get days like this."

The difference for Indiana was defense. It entered the game allowing 89 points per contest, but gave up a season-low point total against the Dream.

The Fever continue their Commissioner's Cup defence on the road Saturday, as they face the New York Liberty. But their current record is still 5-4, as Clark and co. will look to bridge the gap between wins and losses as we move forward with the in-season tournament.

So, do you think Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will be able to defend their title with their current form? Drop your opinions in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy