The Indiana Fever (1-5) wrap up their three-game west-coast journey this Saturday at 9 p.m. ET, facing off against the reigning WNBA Champions, the Las Vegas Aces (2-1), at Michelob ULTRA Arena. This game kicks off the first of four meetings between the two teams this season, airing on WTHR Channel 13 and NBA TV.
In their recent game, the Fever clinched their first victory of the regular season against the Los Angeles Sparks, triumphing 78-73 at Crypto.com Arena. Despite trailing by 11 points at halftime, Indiana rallied, limiting the Sparks to just 11 points in the third quarter. Kelsey Mitchell spearheaded the second-half charge, scoring 15 of her 18 points after halftime. Meanwhile, Indiana's centers, Temi Fagbenle and Aliyah Boston, delivered standout performances, each notching season-high stats with 17 points and six rebounds apiece, complemented by Fagbenle's three assists and Boston's two assists and steals. Caitlin Clark secured her inaugural double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, accompanied by eight assists and four steals. Notably, this marked only the fifth time in franchise history that Indiana clinched a regular-season victory in Los Angeles.
The previous encounter between the Fever and the Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena saw Las Vegas emerging victorious with an 88-80 win on June 26. Chelsea Gray led the Aces with 25 points, while A’ja Wilson contributed a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Despite the loss, Erica Wheeler of the Fever tallied 20 points, with Aliyah Boston recording her own double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds.
The Aces have been inactive since Tuesday's 98-88 loss to the Phoenix Mercury, where Kahleah Copper's 37-point display stood out. Kelsey Plum registered 27 points and five assists, Jackie Young tallied 23 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, and A’ja Wilson contributed 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Additionally, Saturday's game marks the debut matchup between the two 2024 WNBA draft picks from the University of Iowa, Caitlin Clark and Aces guard Kate Martin. Their partnership at Iowa helped propel the team to consecutive national championship game appearances in their final two seasons.
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