INDIANAPOLIS — Rookie Kaela Davis came off the bench to lead the Dallas Wings with 14 points, and Skylar Diggins-Smith added 13 as the Wings used a second-half surge to hold off the Indiana Fever, 80-75, in WNBA preseason play at College Park Center.
Indiana raced to a 31-20 lead after one quarter, and led 45-36 at halftime behind 11 points from Candice Dupree.
Dupree didn’t score again, however, and the Fever squandered the lead during a third period which saw the Wings lead 64-60 headed to the fourth. Indiana stayed even in the final quarter and pulled within a bucket, 74-72, on a jumper from Tiffany Mitchell with 3:04 to play.
Mitchell paced Indiana with a game-high 15 points, one more than Davis, her former teammate at the University of South Carolina.
Dallas led 74-67 with 5:14 to play, setting up five straight points from Indiana and capped by Mitchell. Dallas, though, got a pair of free throws from Davis and another pair from fellow rookie Evelyn Akhator. Akhator added a layup with 1:20 to play, and the Wings coasted to the five-point win.
Indiana’s Jeanette Pohlen-Mavunga scored a 3-pointer with 18 seconds to play, for the final margin.
Point guards Erica Wheeler and rookie Feyonda Fitzgerald each netted seven points for the Fever, with Wheeler matching Diggins-Smith with a game-high five assists. Free agent forward Bashaara Graves added six points and six rebounds for Indiana. Veteran center Natalie Achonwa and rookie forward Erica McCall each pitched in six points and five boards.
Former Fever star Karima Christmas-Kelly was among double-figure scorers for Dallas with 12. Another South Carolina rookie, Alisha Gray, finished with eight points for the Wings.
Indiana opens its 18th WNBA regular season at Seattle on May 14.
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