Game Preview: Fever Look to Avenge Friday's Loss to Aces
After a tough loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night, the Indiana Fever look to make some adjustments and split their back-to-back series in Vegas with a win on Sunday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. ET.
“I don’t have an explanation on why we were so soft,” head coach Marianne Stanley said in Friday’s postgame presser. “Not just in the post but in general, turning the ball over, fouling people… it seemed like every other time down the court we fouled somebody.”
Fever fell to the Aces with a final score of 113-77. The Fever rallied in the second quarter to cut the early deficit to 10 behind a 34-point quarter, which tied the fifth most points scored in a quarter in franchise history.
“We can’t have a bad first quarter and then try to piece it together in the second,” Fever center Teaira McCowan said. “There’s too much up and down, we have to stay on a steady incline.”
Despite the rally in the second quarter, Las Vegas would go on to outscore Indiana 54-30 in the second half to seal the win, while having six of their players score in double-digits.
“That’s not us, that’s not who the Indiana Fever are,” coach Stanley replied. “ We have to be better and we will be better.”
Injury Report
Fever: Betti Határ (out; right ankle), Aaliyah Wilson (out; left foot)
Aces: Kelsey Plum (out; temporary suspension), Angel McCoughtry (out for season; knee)
Last Meeting
May 28, 2021: Tiffany Mitchell led the Fever with 17 points to become the seventh player in franchise history to eclipse 1,500 points with the team. Mitchell passed Ebony Hoffman to move into seventh on the team’s all-time scoring list.
Teaira McCowan’s 13 points and 10 rebounds were good for her 19th career double-double performance. Kelsey Mitchell added 13 points and tied a team-high four assists.
Victoria Vivians came off the bench to score 12 points. She is averaging 10.7 points and shooting 47.8 percent over the last three games. Friday night was also Jessica Breland’s 250th career game played. She has played 37 games with the Fever in 2013 and 2021.
On the Aces side, Dearica Hamby led the Aces with 25 points off the bench, while A’ja Wilson Chelsea Gray, Riquna Williams, Liz Cambage and Jackie Young all reached double-digits as well.
Broadcast Information
Livestream: FeverBasketball.com and Indiana Fever Facebook Page
Pat Boylan (play-by-play), Tully Bevilaqua (analyst)
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