INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever welcome the New York Liberty to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET for the first regular-season home game in the 25th season of the Indiana Fever franchise.

Thursday marks the second year in a row the Fever and Liberty both meet for the second regular season games to start the new year. Indiana and New York will face off four times this season, with their second clash scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Barclays Center on ABC.

In the regular season opener at Connecticut on Tuesday, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark capped her regular-season debut with 20 points and three assists in more than 32 minutes of playing time. Clark’s 20 points was the second most points scored by a Fever player in a rookie debut only behind Tamika Catchings. Clark will play in front of the home crowd for the first time as a member of the Fever in the regular season, but is not a stranger to playing and scoring at a high rate inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. In six games played at Iowa during the 2021 and 2022 Big Ten Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Clark averaged 23.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists, shot 40.0 percent (54-135), went 88.1 percent from the free throw line (37-42) in 37.6 minutes per contest.

To round out the opener, Fever forward NaLyssa Smith was the only other Fever player to score in double figures with 13 points and a team-best nine rebounds. Tuesday night was Smith’s 50th game scoring at least 10 points in what was in her 64th career game played.

New York has won the last six regular-season meetings in the series with Indiana and the Fever enter Thursday’s home opener 12-12 all-time in regular-season home openers.

The Liberty swept the season series against Indiana for the fourth time in franchise history during the 2023 season.
New York scored 96.5 points per game in four matchups against the Fever last season. No team averaged more assists per game against a single opponent in 2023 than the Liberty’s 29.0 assists per game against Indiana.

In New York’s season opening 85-80 win against the Washington Mystics on Tuesday night, center Jonquel Jones scored 25 points, while Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 20 points. Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu gave New York a three-point lead with 15.8 seconds left and finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Forward Breanna Stewart had just eight points on 3-of-9 shooting.

Thursday’s game will be broadcast on WTHR Channel 13 and Prime Video.