LOS ANGELES (AP) — Caitlin Clark had 24 points and nine assists, Kelsey Mitchell added 23 points and the Indiana Fever beat the Los Angeles Sparks 87-78 on Wednesday night.
Clark's first 3-pointer, in seven attempts, came with 4:51 remaining in the fourth quarter to extend Indiana's lead to 78-63.
Los Angeles went on an 11-3 run, capped by a shot in the lane by Kelsey Plum, to pull within 83-76 with 1:23 left. After an Indiana turnover, Plum missed an open 3-pointer from the corner.
Clark found Mitchell on an inbounds pass for a layup to give Indiana an 85-76 lead with 33.2 left.
Sophie Cunningham added 12 points and Monique Billings had nine points and eight rebounds in her regular-season debut for Indiana (1-1). Aliyah Boston had four points and seven rebounds before fouling out with 3:32 left in the fourth. Myisha Hines-Allen reached 500 career assists.
Plum led Los Angeles (0-2) with 25 points and Dearica Hamby added 16. Cameron Brink had 11 points and three blocks, and Nneka Ogwumike and Rae Burrell each scored 10. Starter Ariel Atkins played 16 minutes before leaving with a head injury.
Indiana led 48-34 at halftime behind 17 points from Mitchell and 11 by Clark. Mitchell was 7 of 9 from the field to help the Fever shoot 56%.
Fever: Hosts Washington on Friday.
Sparks: At Toronto for back-to-back games against the Tempo beginning Friday.
AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) and center-forward Aliyah Boston (7) share a moment before the first half of a WNBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Sparks Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) steals the ball from Los Angeles Sparks forward Cameron Brink (22) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives past Los Angeles Sparks guard-forward Rae Burrell (12) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
DENVER (AP) — Brett Kulak’s first goal since January will certainly be one to remember — for him, of course, and a building packed with fans who witnessed, in dramatic fashion, the Avalanche end a series at home for the first time in 18 years.
The Colorado defenseman scored 3:52 into overtime after Nathan MacKinnon tied it late in regulation and the Avalanche advanced to the Western Conference final with a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Kulak capped a wild comeback for the Avalanche, who trailed 3-0 midway through the second period. Colorado moves on to the conference final for an eighth time since relocating to Denver in 1995-96.
“You always like to dream about it,” Kulak said. “The player I am, I’m not the guy everyone’s looking down the bench, like, ‘All right, get out there, go win it for us.’”
The Avalanche will face the Vegas-Anaheim winner. Vegas leads that series 3-2.
With Minnesota up 3-1, Jack Drury scored with 3:33 remaining to set the stage for MacKinnon’s goal with 1:23 left with the Colorado goal empty. The star forward sent a shot from the left side past Jesper Wallstedt and into a small space in the top left corner.
In overtime, Martin Necas took the puck, glided behind the net and back out front, where he found an open Kulak. Without missing a stride, Kulak lined it past Wallstedt.
Kulak was one of several late additions this season as he joined the Avalanche on Feb. 24 as part of a deal that sent Samuel Girard to Pittsburgh. Kulak became the 16th Avalanche player to score in the Minnesota series.
He also was an unlikely OT hero. This was his first goal since Jan. 19 when he was with the Penguins, which also was his only goal of the regular season.
“For us to play the way we did and get the job done, and just for me, a special goal in my career, for sure,” said Kulak, who started the season with Edmonton before being dealt to Pittsburgh in December. “We just clawed back into it and got the job done.”
It was a rare series-ending win at home for Colorado, too. The last time the Avalanche won a series on home ice was 2008 against the Wild, when the team had Hall of Famers Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.
“That was fun,” MacKinnon said. “A lot of fun.”
Marcus Johansson scored 34 seconds into the game and Nick Foligno added two goals to give the Wild a 3-0 after the first period. It led Colorado to take out Mackenzie Blackwood after the first and insert Scott Wedgewood, who made seven saves.
Late in the game, Cale Makar collided with Mats Zuccarello and was grabbing his right arm. Makar went down the tunnel before returning to the ice.
The Avalanche overcame a three-goal deficit to win a playoff game for just the third time in 53 tries since moving to Denver. The Wild had been 21-0 when leading a playoff game by at least three goals before the elimination loss.
“Just anger and frustration,” Minnesota defenseman Brock Faber said. “You work all year for one thing, and just feels like it closes like that. It’s just done.”
Wallstedt stopped 30 shots for the Wild. Matt Boldy and Nico Sturm each had two assists for a banged-up Wild team that was missing center Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin all series.
“When you go after something like this, there’s going to be two sides of the coin,” Wild coach John Hynes said. “One is you’re going to win, which is a great feeling. And when you lose, it’s an empty feeling.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Colorado Avalanche center Jack Drury, center, is congratulated by, from left, center Nicolas Roy, right wing Valeri Nichushkin, and defensemen Devon Toews and Brent Burns in the third period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Wild Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, left, allows a goal by Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon as left wing Gabriel Landeskog looks on in the third period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt reacts after allowing the winning goal on a shot by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak in overtime of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt, center, misses a goal shot by Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brett Kulak as Minnesota right wing Mats Zuccarello, left, and defenseman Jared Spurgeon cover in overtime of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jake Middleton, left, checks Colorado Avalanche left wing Joel Kiviranta in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche center Ross Colton, front, puts a shot on Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Minnesota Wild left wing Matt Boldy, right, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Ahcan covers in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, top front, pins Minnesota Wild right wing Ryan Hartman as Colorado goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood looks on in the first period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Minnesota Wild left wing Kirill Kaprizov, center, collects the puck as Colorado Avalanche defenseman Jack Ahcan covers in the second period of Game 5 of an NHL Stanley Cup hockey second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
