UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Alyssa Thomas had 19 points and 13 assists to help the Connecticut Sun knock Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever out of the playoffs with an 87-81 victory on Wednesday night.

The third-seeded Sun will now face either Minnesota or Phoenix in the semifinals that begin Sunday. It will be Connecticut’s sixth consecutive appearance in the semifinal round or later, tying the second-longest streak by a team in WNBA history.

Thomas finished with 26 assists in the two-game series, tied with Sue Bird (2020) for most assists in a two-game postseason span all-time.

Clark played much better in Game 2 than she did in her postseason debut Sunday. The AP Rookie of the Year finished with 25 points and nine assists, but it wasn’t enough. Aliyah Boston added 16 points and 19 rebounds.

Boston made a layup with 2:05 left to give Indiana a 77-75 lead. But DeWanna Bonner, playing in her 82nd playoff game and tying the WNBA record, answered with a 3-pointer 14 seconds later.

Neither team scored again in the next few attacks until Marina Mabrey hit a three-pointer from the wing with 45.5 seconds left to give the Sun an 81-77 lead.

Kelsey Mitchell missed a 3-pointer on the Fever’s next possession and the Sun decided the game from the free-throw line.

Trailing by seven points at halftime, the Fever scored the first seven points of the third quarter to tie the game. The teams traded baskets until Lexie Hull’s layup gave the Fever a 48-47 lead midway through the period.

It didn’t last long, as Thomas took over, scoring 10 points during a 14-4 run to close out the quarter. Thomas joined Phoenix’s Diana Taurasi as the only players with multiple 15-point, 10-assist performances in series-deciding games in WNBA history (including single elimination games).

Clark brought the Fever back with her 3-pointer, putting the team ahead 71-70 with 3:59 left. The teams traded baskets until Bonner made a 3-pointer.

Indiana started fast, leading 14-6 before the Sun scored the final 11 points of the first quarter to take a three-point lead. With 1:29 left in the quarter, Clark called a fan sitting in the second row to an official after a foul, who called security and had the person escorted to the back. The fan later returned and there were no further incidents.

The run continued from the second half when Connecticut took a 26-16 lead on Carrington’s layup with 7:32 left in the half. The Sun led 41-34 at halftime. Carrington was honored as the league’s Most Improved Player before the game.

On the final play of the half, Erica Wheeler went for a layup to beat the buzzer and flew into the courtside photographers. She was on the floor for a few minutes before getting up and walking back to the locker room. Her left thumb was checked and she did not return for the second half.

Clark finished the first half with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.

The Sun were without starting guard Tyasha Harris, who injured her ankle in Sunday’s win, with Mabrey starting in her place.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.