Indiana Fever Beat Atlanta Dream 95-91 in Overtime on Aug. 16

On Sunday, August 16, 2026, the Indiana Fever defeated the Atlanta Dream 95–91 in overtime at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, extending their winning streak to four games and evening the season series at 2–2. Caitlin Clark led Indiana with 26 points and nine assists, Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 for her 20th consecutive 20-point game — a WNBA single-season record — and rookie Makayla Timpson poured in a career-high 20 points, including the Fever’s first three field goals in the extra period.

Editor’s note: This article draws on game coverage from AP News, ESPN, and Indianapolis Star reporting, August 16, 2026.

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Date	Sunday, August 16, 2026
Venue	State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Final	Fever 95, Dream 91 (OT)
Records	Indiana 23–12; Atlanta 21–13
Series	Season series tied 2–2
Streak	Fever 4 straight wins
Standings impact	Indiana holds No. 4 seed, 1.5 games ahead of Atlanta

Quarter lines

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	OT	Total
Indiana Fever	21	19	24	17	14	95
Atlanta Dream	21	23	28	9	10	91

Atlanta dominated the third quarter 28–24 and appeared in control before Indiana clawed back in the fourth. The Dream managed just nine points in the final regulation period, and Atlanta missed on three straight shots on its last possession to force overtime tied at 81–81.

How the Fever won

Clark and Mitchell in crunch time

Caitlin Clark controlled the pace throughout, finishing with 26 points, three rebounds, and nine assists. After Atlanta trimmed Indiana’s lead to 93–91 in overtime, Clark sank two free throws to seal the margin.

Kelsey Mitchell needed every second of overtime to reach 20. She scored only five points in the first half, picked up her third foul midway through the third quarter, then heated up late. Mitchell’s three-pointer with 1:05 left in regulation tied the game at 81–81, and her layup with 13.6 seconds remaining in overtime gave her exactly 20 points — extending the single-season streak that now stands alone in WNBA history.

Timpson’s breakout night

Makayla Timpson was the surprise engine in the extra period. The rookie scored a career-high 20 points with seven rebounds, and her early overtime baskets set the tone as Indiana outscored Atlanta 14–10 in the five-minute session.

Aliyah Boston added 18 points and 14 rebounds, giving Indiana a dominant interior presence even as Atlanta’s guards poured in points.

Top scorers — Indiana	Pts	Reb	Ast
Caitlin Clark	26	3	9
Makayla Timpson	20	7	—
Kelsey Mitchell	20	1	1
Aliyah Boston	18	14	4

Atlanta’s push fell short

Allisha Gray nearly willed the Dream to victory, matching her career high with 32 points along with seven rebounds and five assists. Rhyne Howard added 17 points, and Angel Reese posted 15 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists while spearheading a 17–4 run that flipped a 36–27 second-quarter deficit into a 44–40 halftime lead.

Top scorers — Atlanta	Pts	Reb	Ast
Allisha Gray	32	7	5
Rhyne Howard	17	0	5
Angel Reese	15	14	6

The Dream played shorthanded. Minutes before tip-off, Atlanta announced point guard Jordin Canada was unavailable due to illness, and forward Brionna Jones sat out with a left leg injury. Jaylen Sherrod made her first career start in her third WNBA season. Coach Karl Smesko said before the game there is no timetable for Jones’s return.

Despite Gray’s explosion and a raucous home crowd, Atlanta could not close in regulation or overtime.

Playoff picture

The win carries real postseason weight. The top four teams in each conference earn home-court advantage in the first round, and Indiana’s victory moved the Fever 1.5 games clear of Atlanta for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

With the season series now split 2–2, a potential Fever–Dream playoff matchup feels increasingly plausible — and Sunday’s overtime thriller offered a preview of how competitive that pairing could be.

What’s next

Team	Next game
Indiana Fever	at Toronto Tempo, Tuesday night
Atlanta Dream	at Las Vegas Aces, Tuesday night

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Discussion

Sunday’s overtime finish underscored how tight the Eastern Conference playoff race has become — and how much depth matters when stars trade big nights.

1. Allisha Gray scored a career-high-tying 32 points and Angel Reese posted a 15-14-6 line, yet Atlanta still lost. Is this a finishing problem for the Dream, or proof that Indiana’s balanced scoring is simply harder to beat in close games?

2. Kelsey Mitchell scored just five points in the first half and fouled out of rhythm in the third, then still reached 20 in overtime to set a WNBA single-season record. How much does that streak matter for Indiana’s ceiling — and can Mitchell keep it going through a compressed playoff schedule?

3. The Fever and Dream have split four meetings this season. If they meet again in the postseason, does home court or health — Canada’s illness, Jones’s injury — decide the series?

Where do you rank Indiana and Atlanta in the East, and does this game change your playoff outlook?

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