Indiana Fever (8-11) at Seattle Storm (7-12)
Date: Sunday, July 10, 2016
Time: 7:00 p.m. (EDT)
Site: KeyArena (Seattle, WA)
Television: None
Webcast: Live webcast and stats can be accessed via WNBA League Pass on FeverBasketball.com
Probable Starters
Fever — F- Tamika Catchings, F-Lynetta Kizer, C-Erlana Larkins, G- Erica Wheeler, G-Briann January
Storm – F- Breanna Stewart, F- Alysha Clark, C- Crystal Langhorne, G- Jewell Loyd, G- Sue Bird
Storylines & Promotion
• The Indiana Fever wrap up a three-game Western Conference road trip and a month-long stretch with eight of 10 games played on the road Sunday night in Seattle as they wrap up the season series with the Storm at 7:00 p.m. (ET).
• Sunday’s game will not be televised locally, but fans can follow all the action by watching WNBA League Pass via FeverBasketball.com or by following live updates on Twitter @IndianaFever.
• Indiana used a huge third-quarter effort Friday night in which the Fever outscored Phoenix 30-10 – their largest point spread in any quarter this season – to outlast the Mercury, 78-60, and snap a two-game losing skid.
• While tying the record for the most fourth-quarter points scored, Indiana became only the sixth team in WNBA history to score at least 39 points in any quarter. The Fever placed four players in double figures, led by Erlana Larkins and Briann January with 13, while Lynetta Kizer and Tiffany Mitchell each scored 10.
• Indiana forced 27 Mercury turnovers, matching the second-best figure ever by a Fever defense and the highest of any team in the WNBA this season. The Fever had a season-high 18 steals and scored 36 points off Mercury turnovers.
• The Fever lead the WNBA this season in turnovers forced per game, 16.7 per game, and now lead the league in steals with an average of 9.4 per game. Indiana has recorded at least 10 steals in each of the last four games.
• Larkins recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 10 rebounds Friday night. She has shot 80.0 percent (12-of-15) in two West Coast games this week. Larkins shot 6-of-8 from the floor in Friday’s win, following a 6-of-7 effort at Los Angeles two nights earlier.
• Briann January finished with 13 points, three assists and set a new career high with six steals in Friday’s win at Phoenix. January is currently tied for fifth in the league in assists (4.3 per game), ninth in steals (1.4), and second in assists-per-turnover ratio (2.73).
• After scoring in double figures only once over her previous six games, Tiffany Mitchell has scored in double figures in both of Indiana’s games on the current road trip. Mitchell ranks second on the team and second among all WNBA rookies with an average of 11.7 points per game.
• The Fever and Storm split a pair of games played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse already this season. Indiana earned an 85-75 win over Seattle on June 1 before Seattle answered with a 90-88 road win on June 12. Currently 7-12 on the season, the Storm snapped a three-game losing streak in their last outing Friday night, earning a 78-68 win at San Antonio to wrap up a three-game road swing.
• Rookie Breanna Stewart is averaging nearly a double-double with 18.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. She also leads the league in minutes played per game (34.9). Former Notre Dame standout Jewell Loyd is averaging 16.2 points, 3.4 and 2.8 assists per game in her second season with Seattle.
Last Meeting
(June 12, 2016) INDIANAPOLIS – The Fever overcame a sluggish start through the first three quarters to lead late in the game after a strong fourth quarter, but Jewell Loyd sank a pair of free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to give Seattle a 90-88 road victory over Indiana. Through the first three quarters, the Fever shot just 32.7 percent from the field (16-49), committed 12 turnovers and scored only 54 points to trail by 12 entering the final period. But the Fever rebounded to shoot 61 percent and force seven turnovers in the fourth quarter to fuel the comeback. Tiffany Mitchell capped a 16-4 Fever run to give Indiana its only lead of the game, 87-86, with 31.4 seconds remaining. But Loyd answered with a layup to retake the lead, then grabbed the rebound off a missed Shenise Johnson free throw, raced down the floor with no timeouts remaining and drew the foul to put her on the line for the game-winning free throws. Tamika Catchings finished with a season-high 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the field and 8-for-9 from the free throw line. She scored 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting in the fourth quarter.
Series
Seattle ended a five-game losing streak to the Fever, and an eight-game road losing streak with their victory at Indiana on June 12. The Fever have won their last four road trips to Seattle. Their last road loss to the Storm came on June 17, 2011. The Fever lead the overall series 17-15, but hold only a 4-11 record all-time at Seattle.