Valkyries defeat Fever, 88-77,...

The Indiana Fever weren't involved in any on-court scuffles following Tuesday night's skirmish with the Connecticut Sun. Officials also had a relatively smooth game amid scrutiny over how they've been calling fouls and allowing hacking among players.

On Thursday versus the Golden State Valkyries, the Fever's struggles were of a basketball nature, resulting in an 88-77 defeat at San Francisco's Chase Center. The Valkyries did an excellent job defending Indiana star Caitlin Clark, who scored only 11 points on 3-for-14 shooting (0-for-7 on 3-pointers).

The Fever began the fourth quarter with a 59-55 lead, but Golden State went on a 7-2 run to take an advantage and stayed on top for the remainder of the game. The Valkyries outscored Indiana 33-18 in the final 10 minutes.

Kayla Thornton led Golden State with 16 points and six rebounds, shooting 5 for 8 on 3s. Tiffany Hayes added 14 points and five assists off the bench, while playing strong defense on Clark. The Valkyries improved to 6-6 for the season with a 4-2 mark at home thus far.

The Fever were without head coach Stephanie White, who missed the game for personal reasons. White also missed Indiana's 79-52 win over the Chicago Sky on June 7. As was the case then, longtime assistant Austin Kelly served as acting head coach on Thursday in White's absence.

"You know, our family is working through a hard time right now," White told the Indianapolis Star upon returning after the Sky game. "And no matter what, I'm gonna be where my feet are, but I'm really thankful for this group."

"I've said it all along, we've got three head coaches on our staff," she added. "And so knowing that they continue to step up and do great things gives me comfort."

Indiana was led by Aliyah Boston's 17 points and 12 rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell followed with 16 points for the Fever, who dropped to 6-6 with a 2-3 record on the road this season.

Thursday's game was only the second time in her WNBA career that Clark has not hit a 3-pointer. The first time that happened was during Indiana's 81-76 win over the Atlanta Dream on May 22. Clark shot 0 for 5 from beyond the arc.

Up next for the Fever is a matchup at the Las Vegas Aces (5-6) on Sunday with a 3 p.m. ET tip-off. The Valkyries host the Sun on Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.