Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Michelob ULTRA Arena | 9 p.m. ET

Broadcast Information
Fever Facebook/NBA TV
Pat Boylan (play-by-play), Bria Goss (analyst)

The Indiana Fever (5-7) continue its four-game road trip in Las Vegas to take on the Aces in doubleheader fashion Saturday and Monday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena.

Indiana started out their road trip in Seattle with an 80-69 win over the Storm on Thursday night. The Fever held Seattle to 3-of-22 shooting from the floor in the fourth quarter, which secured the third straight road win following wins in Minnesota and Chicago for the first time since 2016. Kelsey Mitchell rattled off a season-high 25 points and knocked down a season-high seven three-pointers while leading all scorers in the matchup. NaLyssa Smith recorded her sixth double-double of the season as she contributed 12 points and 14 rebounds, highlighted by a new career-high 12 defensive rebounds.

Fever rookie center Aliyah Boston had nine points and 11 rebounds on the night, and Erica Wheeler chipped in 10 points of her own. Forward Emma Cannon came off the bench to deliver season-high totals of 10 points and eight rebounds.

Indiana, the second-best rebounding team in the league entering Saturday’s matchup against Las Vegas, outrebounded Seattle, 47-29. The Fever average a collective 36.8 total rebounds per game and are led by Smith, who is ranked fourth in the WNBA averaging 9.8 rebounds per contest.

Indiana was shorthanded for the first time this season as Grace Berger and Victoria Vivians both missed their first games of the season with injuries.

Mitchell enters the second matchup of the season against Las Vegas averaging a team-leading 18.1 points per game, good for 11th in the WNBA.

Boston continues to orchestrate her skills on the court as she continues to lead all 2023 rookies in scoring average (15.4 ppg), rebounds (8.0 rpg), blocks (1.6 bpg) and minutes played (29.3 mpg), while also leading the league in field goal percentage at 64.3 percent (74-of-115). Aces guard Jackie Young and former Indiana Miss Basketball follows behind in third place shooting 60.4 percent (90-of-149).

In the first matchup this season between the Fever and the Aces on June 4, Las Vegas narrowly escaped with the 84-80 win after a 14-3 scoring run in the fourth quarter brought them back from a 10-point deficit. Indiana held Las Vegas to its second lowest scoring output of the season and averages 92.5 points per game this season.

Indiana was led in the first game by Mitchell, who finished with 22 points on the night and 14 points being scored in the third quarter alone. She was followed by Wheeler with 15 points, who went 3-of-3 from behind the three-point arc, and Smith who had 10 points to go along with nine rebounds. Kristy Wallace, Grace Berger, Queen Egbo and Victoria Vivians compiled a collective 24 points off the bench to outscore the Las Vegas reserves, 24-7.

The Aces were led by A’ja Wilson in the matchup against the Fever as she contributed a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Chelsea Gray added 17 points and Young, the Aces leading scorer so far this season, recorded 19 points. As a whole, Indiana held the top ranked three-point shooting team to 19 percent shooting (4-of-21) from behind the three-point arc.

The reigning champion Aces have been steady in starting off the 2023 season, falling only once this season to the Connecticut Sun, 94-77. Las Vegas leads the league in offensive output (92.5 ppg), field goal percentage (50.2 percent), three-point field goal percentage (37.2 percent), defensive rebounds (29.5 rpg), steals (8.5 spg) and blocks (5.7 bpg), while also converting the least number of turnovers (12.4) per game.

Probable Starters

Indiana Fever (5-7)

Guard – Kelsey Mitchell (18.1 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 2.6 apg)
Guard – Erica Wheeler (8.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 5.2 apg)
Forward – Lexie Hull (4.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.8 spg)
Forward – NaLyssa Smith (13.9 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Center – Aliyah Boston (15.4 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.6 bpg)

Las Vegas Aces (11-1)

Guard – Jackie Young (21.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.0 apg)
Guard – Kelsey Plum (16.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 4.2 apg)
Guard – Chelsea Gray (13.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 6.2 apg)
Forward – Candace Parker (8.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.6 apg)
Center – A’ja Wilson (18.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 2.17 bpg)

Game Status Report

Indiana: Grace Berger – doubtful (left ankle), Victoria Vivians – probable (neck)
Las Vegas: TBA