Indiana Fever First Basket Stats 2026: Who Scores First
Caitlin Clark scored the Fever’s first basket more than anyone in 2026: 12 times in 43 starts, or 28% of the games they started. Kelsey Mitchell was next with 10. The Fever made the game’s first field goal in 62% of their 47 games and won 64% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2026 game (330 regular season, 16 playoffs, 1 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Fever in 2026
First basket for team is the first field goal by any IND player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for IND | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caitlin Clark | 43 | 12 | 28% | 4 | 9% |
| Kelsey Mitchell | 47 | 10 | 21% | 8 | 17% |
| Aliyah Boston | 43 | 10 | 23% | 7 | 16% |
| Lexie Hull | 44 | 5 | 11% | 3 | 7% |
| Makayla Timpson | 17 | 4 | 24% | 3 | 18% |
| Monique Billings | 31 | 3 | 10% | 2 | 6% |
| Tyasha Harris | 4 | 2 | 50% | 1 | 25% |
| Myisha Hines-Allen | 3 | 1 | 33% | 1 | 33% |
How often the Fever scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 47 | 29 | 62% |
| Home | 23 | 12 | 52% |
| Away | 24 | 17 | 71% |
| Regular season | 44 | 26 | 59% |
| Playoffs | 3 | 3 | 100% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aliyah Boston | 27 | 17 | 63% |
| Makayla Timpson | 15 | 11 | 73% |
| Monique Billings | 3 | 1 | 33% |
| Team | 45 | 29 | 64% |
How the Fever’s first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Layup | 20 | 43% |
| 3-pointer | 15 | 32% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 12 | 26% |
2025
| Player | Starts | First basket for IND | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natasha Howard | 0 | 18 | – | 8 | – |
| Aliyah Boston | 0 | 14 | – | 10 | – |
| Kelsey Mitchell | 0 | 9 | – | 4 | – |
| Odyssey Sims | 0 | 5 | – | 2 | – |
| Lexie Hull | 0 | 2 | – | 2 | – |
| Caitlin Clark | 0 | 2 | – | 0 | – |
| Player 202641 | 0 | 1 | – | 1 | – |
| Sophie Cunningham | 0 | 1 | – | 0 | – |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Fever?
Caitlin Clark, with 12 of the Fever’s first baskets in 2026 (28% of their 43 starts), ahead of Kelsey Mitchell with 10.
How often do the Fever score first?
The Fever made the first field goal in 29 of 47 games in 2026 (62%): 52% at home and 71% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Fever?
Aliyah Boston took 27 of the Fever’s 45 opening tips in 2026 and won 63% of them.
Is Caitlin Clark a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 28% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every WNBA game; see WNBA first basket picks.
Source: WNBA play-by-play and box scores, 2026. Updated October 13, 2026. See the WNBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.