2024-08-17 10:50:01
Game Preview: Fever Host Mercury for First Game Back After Olympic Break
Fri, Aug 16, 2024, 11:01 AM
Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury
Friday, August 16
Gainbridge Fieldhouse | 7:30 p.m. ET
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Broadcast Information
ION
Probable Starters
Indiana Fever (11-15)
Guard – Kelsey Mitchell (16.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.8 apg)
Guard – Caitlin Clark (17.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 8.2 apg)
Center – Aliyah Boston (14.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Forward – Katie Lou Samuelson (5.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)
Forward – NaLyssa Smith (11.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.2 apg)
Phoenix Mercury (14-12)
Guard – Natasha Cloud (12.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 7.3 apg)
Guard – Diana Taurasi (16.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.6 apg)
Guard – Sophie Cunningham (8.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.1 apg)
Guard – Kahleah Copper (23.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Center – Brittney Griner (18.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Game Status Report
Indiana: Temi Fagbenle – OUT (Right Thumb)
Phoenix (From Friday): Bec Allen – NWT (Right Hamstring), Charisma Osborne – OUT (Left Lower Leg)
GAME PREVIEW:
The Indiana Fever welcome the Phoenix Mercury to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET to begin the second half of the WNBA regular season. Friday’s matchup is Indiana’s first game back following the Olympic break and the Mercury tipped off its return last night in an 85-65 win at the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena. Kahleah Copper scored 29 points in her return to Chicago and Brittney Griner had 23 points, nine rebounds, six assists and five blocks against the short-handed Sky. Copper was 12-of-19 from the field in her first game against Chicago since being traded in February.
Over the break, Fever guard Kristy Wallace and Australia won bronze in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Before the Olympics commenced, Fever players Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell traveled to the Footprint Center in Phoenix on July 20 to compete against the U.S. Women’s National Team in the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. Boston, Clark and Mitchell and Team WNBA defeated Copper, Griner, Diana Taurasi and Team USA, 117-109. The Fever trio combined for 21 points and 12 assists in the game as Mitchell ended the night with 13 points and Clark became the third rookie in franchise history to start an All-Star Game, joining Tamika Catchings (2002) and Boston (2023). In Clark’s 26 minutes of All-Star play, she tied the second most assists recorded in a WNBA All-Star Game with a game-high 10 assists.
Five days ago, Copper, Griner and Taurasi helped USA Basketball win its eighth-straight Olympic gold medal in a 67-66 win against France in the Olympic final. The USA Women’s National Team now owns the longest Olympic gold medal streak in a traditional team sport, passing the USA Basketball Men’s National Team who won seven straight gold medals from 1936-1968. In the gold medal game, Copper came off the bench with 12 points, including 10 in the final quarter to help secure the victory against France.
Friday’s game marks Indiana and Phoenix’s final meeting of the regular season, as the Fever currently sit 2-0 in its regular season series with the Mercury and have won four straight games against Phoenix dating back to 2023. The Fever beat the Mercury, 88-82, on June 30 at Footprint Center in its first contest of the year. Boston, Clark, Mitchell and Fever forward NaLyssa Smith all scored in double figures in the win, and have all reached double figures in Indiana’s last three games before the Olympic break. During Indiana’s most recent 95-86 win against Phoenix on July 12 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the four aforementioned Fever players scored in double figures again, led by Mitchell’s 28-point performance. Indiana outscored Phoenix, 60-28, in paint points in the win as well.
