Indiana Fever vs Atlanta Dream
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Gainbridge Fieldhouse | 4 p.m. ET
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Broadcast Information
Bally Sports Indiana/NBA TV
Pat Boylan (play-by-play), Bria Goss (analyst)

The Indiana Fever will continue its three-game homestand on Sunday at 4 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse taking on the Atlanta Dream for the fourth and final time during the regular season. Indiana earned its first win of the regular season on May 28 against the Dream in Atlanta, 90-87, but then fell to Atlanta in the last two meetings on June 18 and August 6.

Last time out for Indiana, the Fever defeated the Seattle Storm, 90-86, on Thursday night. Kelsey Mitchel’s 36 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the court guided the Fever to the win. NaLyssa Smith contributed her 10th double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Aliyah Boston also added a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. In addition, rookie guard Grace Berger pitched in 14 points off the bench.

Mitchell is averaging 22.4 points per game throughout Indiana’s seven games in the month of August and is averaging a team-leading 17.9 points per game this season, good for 11th in the WNBA for scoring average. Mitchell netted her 3,000th career point on August 20 and ranks second in the franchise ranks in points (3,038), field goals made (1,059) and three-point field goals made (432).

All-Star rookie center Aliyah Boston is averaging 14.6 points per contest and is still shooting a league-leading 59.3 percent (198-of-334) from the floor. Boston has consistently led all rookies in rebounds (8.2 rpg), steals (1.3 spg) and blocked shots (1.4 bpg), and enters the matchup three points away from reaching the 500 point milestone just 34 games into her career. In three matchups against Atlanta this season, Boston is averaging 21.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.

Atlanta enters the weekend sixth place in the WNBA standings and enters the matchup following a 83-78 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday. The Dream led from the 7:51 mark in the first quarter to the beginning of the fourth quarter and extended the lead to as many as 16 points, but gave up the lead for the final time with roughly six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

Cheyenne Parker led the team with 22 points in her seventh 20-point outing of the season. She is averaging 14.0 points to go along with a team-leading 6.7 rebounds this season. 2022 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Rhyne Howard, added 15 points to the scoring column and is leading the team averaging 17.8 points and 1.4 steals per contest. Aari McDonald has earned starts for Atlanta’s most recent three games and is averaging 7.5 points per game for the Dream this season.

The Dream lead the league in blocks per game averaging 4.9 blocks per game, highlighted by Parker’s 1.6 blocks per game. With an average of 28.1 defensive rebounds and 35.8 total rebounds per game, Atlanta ranks third in the WNBA in the respective categories while Indiana excels on the offensive boards averaging a second-best 9.0 offensive rebounds per matchup.

Probable Starters

Indiana Fever (10-24)

Guard – Kelsey Mitchell (17.9 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Forward – NaLyssa Smith (15.1 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Center – Aliyah Boston (14.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.4 bpg)
Guard – Kristy Wallace (6.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Guard – Erica Wheeler (10.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 4.9 apg)

Atlanta Dream (16-18)

Guard – Aari McDonald (7.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Forward – Naz Hillmon (3.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.6 apg)
Forward – Cheyenne Parker (14.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 1.6 bpg)
Guard – Danielle Robinson (5.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.3 apg)
Guard – Rhyne Howard (17.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 spg)

Game Status Report

Indiana: Victoria Vivians – questionable (lower back), Lexie Hull – out (right shoulder)
Atlanta: TBA