Wings 107, Fever 104: Dallas Holds Off Clark and Mitchell in Instant Regular Season Classic

How it played out

Dallas led by as many as 14 in the first half, taking a 60-51 advantage into halftime behind efficient shooting from Ogunbowale and Bueckers. Indiana clawed back in the third quarter — outscoring the Wings 29-20 — and made it a two-possession game entering the fourth. The Fever had the momentum, the crowd, and Kelsey Mitchell on a historic shooting night. They couldn't close it. Dallas outscored Indiana 27-24 in the fourth to hold on. The Wings shot 59 percent from the field and 52 percent from three — numbers that aren't sustainable over 44 games but were dominant enough on opening night to survive a furious comeback.

Mitchell was historic. It wasn't enough.

Kelsey Mitchell put together one of the best individual performances in Fever history — 30 points on 11-of-22 shooting including 2-of-9 from three, going 6-of-7 from the line in 33 minutes. She was the best player on the floor for stretches of the second half and single-handedly kept Indiana in a game Dallas was pulling away from. Her line — 30 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 0 turnovers — was the kind of performance that wins games. Tonight it wasn't enough because four other Indiana starters combined to shoot 16-of-56 from the field.

Aliyah Boston had a strong night — 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting with 4 rebounds and 3 assists — and looked healthy and comfortable in her first real action after last year's injury-shortened season. That's an encouraging sign for Indiana regardless of the result.

Caitlin Clark finished with 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting, 2-of-9 from three, going 4-of-4 from the line. She added 7 assists and 5 turnovers in 31 minutes — a Clark game that looked like Clark still finding her rhythm in a competitive environment after a long preseason. The 7-of-18 shooting line is the number to watch. When Clark is clicking she doesn't need 18 attempts to score 20.

Bueckers and Ogunbowale carried Dallas

Paige Bueckers opened her sophomore season with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting, 1-of-3 from three, going 3-of-6 from the line with 4 assists in 32 minutes. The efficiency was elite — 8-of-10 from the field is not something that happens by accident. She was decisive, composed, and in control throughout, exactly the kind of performance that suggests the sophomore leap is real.

Arike Ogunbowale had 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting including 3-of-7 from three in 29 minutes with 5 assists. This was the Ogunbowale that Dallas needed — a secondary creator who took pressure off Bueckers and punished Indiana when they overloaded to stop the point guard. Odyssey Sims added a surprising 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes. Three Wings starters scored 20 or more. Indiana simply couldn't match that kind of distributed offensive output.

Jessica Shepard was the unsung hero — 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in 32 minutes. That's nearly a triple-double off the opening tip of the regular season from a player most casual fans weren't watching. Aziaha James added 10 off the bench on 3-of-5 shooting including 3-of-3 from three. Dallas's depth was again the difference.

Azzi Fudd's night

Fudd played 18 minutes off the bench and finished with 3 points on 1-of-2 shooting, 1-of-2 from three, with 1 rebound and a -1 plus-minus. The three-point attempt she took was the right read — open corner, good look — and it rattled out. The minutes are appropriate for a rookie still finding her footing. The coaching staff is being careful with her integration and that's the right call. Fudd's regular season is 43 more games. Tonight was a data point, not a verdict.

Three things that matter going forward

Dallas is a legitimate contender. They went 3-0 in the preseason and opened the regular season by beating a Fever team playing in front of a national audience with full motivation to win. The Wings shot 59 percent and had four players score in double figures. If this roster stays healthy, the playoff projection isn't just realistic — it's conservative.

Indiana's three-point shooting is a problem. The Fever went 7-of-24 from three tonight — 29 percent. Clark was 2-of-9. Mitchell was 2-of-9. Sophie Cunningham was 1-of-1. This team was top-ten in three-point shooting last year. One game doesn't define a season but the pattern from preseason continues — the Fever are not shooting the three at the rate their system requires.

Clark and Bueckers are going to make this a rivalry. Twenty points each in the first regular season meeting. Clark with 7 assists, Bueckers with 4. Both teams competitive until the final minute. These two meet three more times this season. Every one of them is going to feel like this.