Indiana Fever (4-5) at Washington Mystics (6-3)

Date: Sunday, June 11, 2017
Time: 3:00 p.m. (EDT)
Site: Verizon Center (Washington, D.C.)
TV: none
Live Stream: WNBA League Pass

Probable Starters
Fever: F- Marissa Coleman, F- Candice Dupree, C- Erlana Larkins, G- Shenise Johnson, G- Erica Wheeler
Mystics: F- Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, F- Tianna Hawkins, C- Krystal Thomas, G- Kristi Toliver, G- Tayler Hill

Injury Update
Briann January (left Achilles tendon strain) will not play in tonight’s game against the Washington Mystics. Her injury status is day-to-day.

The Fever travel to Washington for an afternoon bout on Sunday in what is the first of four matchups against the Mystics this season. The Mystics are the only team the Fever will face four times all year.

Erica Wheeler has shined over the past two games. Pressed into extended action due to an injury to starting point guard Briann January, Wheeler scored a career-high 24 points in an overtime loss to the Phoenix Mercury, Wednesday night. Against the Seattle Storm, Friday, Wheeler contributed 19 points and added six assists and five rebounds. She’s played 77 combined minutes over the two games, sitting out just eight minutes total.

Storylines & Promotion
• The Fever earned their fourth home win in five attempts with an 83-80 victory over the Seattle Storm on Friday. Natalie Achonwa scored a career-high 17 points, and Erica Wheeler scored 19 points in her first start of the year. The Fever bench outscored Seattle’s 33-3, and Indiana outrebounded the Storm 33-27.

• Washington lost to the undefeated Minnesota Lynx, falling 98-75 at home, Friday night. Tayler Hill led the Mystics with 20 points and Ivory Latta was the only other player in double figures with 15. The Mystics allowed Minnesota to shoot 52.6 percent from the field and 45.8 percent on 3-pointers.

• The Fever’s 87.7 percent free throw shooting remains second in the WNBA and is on place for a club record, with previous games this season of 12-for-12, 28-of-29, and 36-of-38. Washington holds the pole position with an 89.2 percent mark.

• Fever free throw shooting is paced by Tiffany Mitchell who is third in the league with a mark of 97 percent. She has hit 28 in-a-row since May 20 against Connecticut. She hit a franchise-record 42 consecutive free throws at the end of her rookie campaign. Shenise Johnson, last year’s WNBA free throw champion, is eighth, converting on 90 percent of her attempts.

• Natalie Achonwa leads the league in field goal percentage, converting on 70 percent of her shots, including a 7-of-10 shooting night Friday against Seattle.

• Indiana has outrebounded its last two opponents, but faces a tough challenge against the Mystics, who are third in the league in rebounding, snagging 37.1 rebounds per game

• The Fever bench has provided a spark so far this season, outscoring the opposing team’s bench in all nine games.

• The Fever are 4-0 when they turn the ball over 12 or fewer times, and 0-5 when they commit 13 or more turnovers.

• Candice Dupree (2,435 rebounds) is 11th on the WNBA career rebounding list, and needs ten rebounds to pass former Fever star Yolanda Griffith (2,444) in 10th place, and 13 rebounds to pass Lauren Jackson (2,447) in 9th.

• Erlana Larkins (1,107 rebounds) needs nine rebounds to pass Ebony Hoffman (1,115) for second place in team history among career rebounders.

• Marissa Coleman needs 20 points to reach 1,000 in her Fever career and 72 for 2,000 in her WNBA career.

• Coleman began her career with the Mystics in 2009, playing three seasons for the club after being selected second in the 2009 WNBA Draft. A lifelong resident of the D.C. area, she prepped at St. John’s High School and attended the University of Maryland. Washington’s Krystal Thomas played for Indiana during the 2014 season, appearing in 21 games and making three starts.

• Jazmon Gwathmey, who attended James Madison University just outside the D.C. area, scored a career-high 16 points against the Mystics last season, when she was as a member of the San Antonio Stars. Shenise Johnson has also recorded a career-high against Washington, grabbing 11 rebounds on July 2, 2015.

• The Fever are 40-24 against the Mystics all-time, with a 20-13 record in Washington. The teams have split the past four meetings in the Verizon Center, but the Mystics have won three of the past four overall.

• Briann January missed the Seattle game with a left Achilles tendon strain sustained in the opening moments of last Wednesday’s bout with Phoenix. She will not play against Washington. Her injury status is day-to-day. The Mystics’ Elena Delle Donne missed their matchup against the Lynx with a groin injury.

Highlights