Kelsey Plum Gets Her Number on Helpless Caitlin Clark After Ending Fever’s Winning Streak With 25 Pts, 11 Assists

A 5-game winning streak was just the testament the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever had needed. “It shows the growth that we’ve had,” Sophie Cunningham beamed with pride. But before it could turn into a Hollywood ending, Crypto.com Arena brought the brakes. Kelsey Plum dropped a 25-point, 11-assist masterclass, leading the Sparks to a 100-91 win, while reminding everyone whose night it was amid a rivalry that had already been brewing.

 Back in mid-July, during a Sparks-Fever matchup, Clark was inactive due to injury but stayed animated on the sidelines. At one point, she stepped onto the court during a heated sequence to argue with the officials. That’s when Plum, never one to hold back, turned to the referees and gestured toward Clark, suggesting she be hit with a technical or at least be reined in. It was a quick, almost playful moment, but one that didn’t go unnoticed. Social media exploded—Plum’s fans saw it as classic competitiveness, Clark’s fans viewed it as targeted pettiness. Either way, it planted a seed for something greater. 

That seed bloomed just days later at the All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. Before the game, WNBA players made headlines for their “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts—a coordinated move to spotlight pay disparity in the league. But when Plum was asked about the pre-game meeting that led to it, she couldn’t resist a jab. “Not to tattletale,” she said, “but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that.” While Plum later claimed it was said in jest, her comment drew an instant reaction—Sabrina Ionescu visibly rolled her eyes and replied with sarcastic restraint. The remark deepened the undercurrent of rivalry between the seasoned vet and the league’s most polarizing rookie. And with Clark out again, Plum seized the perfect moment to let her performance do the talking. But defeating a team riding a W5 streak isn’t exactly a piece of cake. 

So, as Kelsey Mitchell gave it her all to rally the troops, torching the nets for 34 points and nearly sparking a late comeback, Indy cut a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to just six with under two minutes remaining. But the clock and Kelsey Plum’s poise proved too much to overcome.

And despite Aliyah Boston’s 15 points and nine rebounds, and Aari McDonald’s chipping in 15 points, it wasn’t enough to offset the Sparks’ scorching 14-4 opening run in the fourth quarter that essentially sealed the game. And credit doesn’t just go to Plum Dawg as Rickea Jackson continued her star turn by matching Plum’s 25 points, while Azura Stevens followed up with a 19-point contribution.

So, even though the Fever entered the matchup as the league’s hottest team, the Sparks’ balanced offensive attack and defensive pressure flipped the script. As Plum dropped those 3 3-pointers and dished game-high 11 assists, hardly giving the Fever a break to catch up, one could hardly keep Clark off their minds. The Sparks made 50% of their shots from the deep! Despite Mitchell’s 30-point piece, it clearly seemed like Plum Dawg’s night. Clark’s fans would rather not hear about it– Fever loss, Clark injured, and Plum’s yet another glorious outing.