LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — Caitlin Clark scored 24 points and dished out nine assists, Kelsey Mitchell added 23 points and the Indiana Fever held off a late Los Angeles Sparks rally to win 87-78 on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.

Clark, who entered the game shooting 1 for 7 from three-point range, finally connected from deep with 4:51 left in the fourth quarter to push Indiana’s lead to 78-63. The Sparks responded with an 11-3 run capped by Kelsey Plum’s driving floater in the lane with 1:23 remaining, cutting the deficit to 83-76. After an Indiana turnover, Plum missed an open corner three-pointer that would have made it a one-possession game. Mitchell sealed the victory with a layup with 33.2 seconds left.

Indiana improved to 1-1, while Los Angeles fell to 0-2.

The Fever dominated the first half, outscoring the Sparks 48-34. Indiana shot efficiently from the floor and from three-point range in the first two quarters, while Los Angeles struggled to find consistent offense. The Fever led 24-20 after the first quarter and extended the margin to 14 points at halftime by winning the second quarter 24-14.

Los Angeles battled back in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 68-52 entering the fourth. The Sparks then made a push in the final period, scoring 26 points, but Indiana’s defense held firm when it mattered most.

Plum led all scorers with 25 points, adding four assists. Dearica Hamby contributed 16 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles. Cameron Brink had 11 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Nneka Ogwumike added 10 points and five rebounds.

For Indiana, Mitchell scored 23 points on efficient shooting. Sophie Cunningham chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds. Monique Billings recorded nine points and eight rebounds. Aliyah Boston had four points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Tyasha Harris added seven points and three assists off the bench.

The Fever jumped out to an early lead thanks to aggressive drives and crisp ball movement. Clark scored or assisted on several key baskets in the opening minutes. The Sparks struggled to contain Indiana’s penetration, frequently fouling and sending the Fever to the free-throw line.

Indiana’s defense forced 18 Los Angeles turnovers and converted them into transition opportunities. The Fever also dominated the rebounding battle, particularly on the offensive glass, which led to second-chance points.

The game’s pivotal sequence came in the fourth quarter. With Indiana leading 78-63 after Clark’s three-pointer, the Sparks mounted a comeback. Plum scored eight points during the 11-3 run, including a driving layup and a jumper that brought Los Angeles within 83-76. After a Fever turnover, Los Angeles had a chance to cut the lead to four, but Plum’s three-pointer from the corner rimmed out. Clark then sank two free throws with 9.1 seconds remaining to ice the game.

Clark’s performance marked another strong outing after scoring 20 points with seven assists in Indiana’s season-opening loss to Dallas on May 9. The Fever will host Washington on Friday, while the Sparks return home to face Toronto on Friday.

Indiana shot 45 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. Los Angeles shot 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from beyond the arc. The Fever made 16 of 20 free throws, while the Sparks converted 17 of 22.

Attendance was announced as 12,605.

The Fever’s next 10 games include home contests against Washington, Seattle twice, Portland, Golden State and Atlanta, along with road games at Golden State, Portland, New York and Washington. The Sparks’ upcoming schedule features a three-game homestand against Toronto before road games at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Washington and Connecticut, followed by home games against Las Vegas, Dallas and Portland.

Interstat’s ELO system gave Indiana a 55.70 percent probability to win. The Fever were installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 2.5 points. The total score of 87 points went over the over/under line of 182.5.