Clark Makes WNBA Historical past with 27 Factors and 15 Assists; Fever Keep Alive; No. 8 Liberty Sweep No. 1 Lynx

Two historic performances outlined a banner Tuesday night time within the 2026 WNBA playoffs, as Caitlin Clark rewrote the file books to maintain the Indiana Fever alive towards the Las Vegas Aces whereas the No. 8 seed New York Liberty accomplished a shocking sweep of the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx.

Indiana Fever 99, Las Vegas Aces 89 (Series tied 1-1)

Caitlin Clark grew to become the primary participant in WNBA historical past to file a 25-point, 15-assist sport, per CBS Sports, as Indiana evened their first-round best-of-three collection with a 99-89 house win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Clark completed with 27 factors (9-of-18 from the ground, 5-of-11 from three), 15 assists, and seven rebounds. Her 15 assists additionally tied for the third-most in WNBA playoff historical past, and she or he was immediately liable for 58 of the Fever’s 99 factors, accounting for twenty-four of their 37 made subject targets, in line with CBS Sports.

The efficiency was not with out turbulence. Clark picked up a technical foul after disputing an official’s name, which helped ignite a Fever rally, per Yahoo Sports. She fouled out with 2:45 remaining, however Indiana held off a late Aces cost — Las Vegas lower the deficit to 5, 92-87, with 2:11 left earlier than Aliyah Boston answered and Kelsey Mitchell sealed the win on the free-throw line, per CBS Sports. Boston completed with 22 factors, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds; Mitchell added 26.

For the Aces, Jackie Young led with 31 factors whereas A’ja Wilson — who had dominated Game 1 with 38 factors in Las Vegas’s 102-85 blowout — was held to 22 factors and 9 rebounds Tuesday. Indiana dominated the paint 58-26, outscored the Aces 30-17 within the second quarter and 24-17 within the third, and pulled down 11 offensive rebounds to Las Vegas’s seven, per Yahoo Sports.

Wilson obtained her personal technical foul after getting into the stands following what she described as a fan confrontation. “If I see a man come at me, taking steps toward me and pointing at me, I don’t give a damn what you said,” Wilson stated, per Yahoo Sports. “That is unacceptable.”

The collection strikes to a decisive Game 3 in Las Vegas on Thursday.

New York Liberty 87, Minnesota Lynx 71 (Liberty win collection 2-0)

The No. 8 seed Liberty swept the top-seeded Lynx 87-71 at Barclays Center, changing into the primary No. 8 seed within the league’s 30-year historical past to eradicate a No. 1 seed, per The Score. The Liberty had additionally gained Game 1 on September 27 in Minnesota, 91-75, with Breanna Stewart posting 34 factors.

In Game 2, Stewart (21 factors), Jonquel Jones (21 factors, 13 rebounds), and Sabrina Ionescu (18 factors) led New York, which constructed a 12-point halftime lead and held on comfortably, per The Score. Stewart absorbed a flagrant foul to the face whereas driving within the third quarter and drew MVP chants from the Barclays Center crowd. For Minnesota, Courtney Williams led with 18 factors and Napheesa Collier added 14, whereas rookie Olivia Miles — central to the Lynx’s regular-season dominance — managed simply 5 factors on 1-of-8 capturing, per The Score.

The Lynx, who entered because the WNBA’s finest regular-season crew, are eradicated. New York advances to the second spherical.