Indiana Fever at Washington Mystics
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Capital One Arena | 11:30 a.m. ET

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

The Indiana Fever (5-15) will travel to Washington on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. to take on the Washington Mystics following the All-Star break. The Fever and the Mystics have each won a game in the 2023 regular-season series as they enter the third of four matchups between the two teams this season.

On June 13, Indiana took the first game in the series, 87-66, to earn its first home win of the 2023 season. In their most recent matchup on July 7, the Fever fell to the Mystics, 96-88, at Entertainment and Sports Arena despite reducing a 17-point Washington lead to four points on one occasion. Fever guard Lexie Hull led all Indiana scorers as she notched a career-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Hull was followed by NaLyssa Smith who recorded 19 points and Kelsey Mitchell who netted 18 points. For Washington, the Mystics were guided by Brittney Sykes’ season-high 29 points and Ariel Atkins’ season-high 26 points.

In addition, Indiana shot a season-high 55.0 percent (33-of-60) from the floor and 50.0 percent (9-of-18) from the three-point line.

The Fever enter Wednesday’s matchup following a week-long break during which two of Indiana’s players participated in the 2023 WNBA All-Star Game. Rookie center Aliyah Boston started for Team Wilson and recorded a team-high 11 rebounds to go along with six points, two assists and a steal. Mitchell came off the bench for Team Stewart in the win and contributed two points, three rebounds to go along with two assists.

Mitchell has consistently led Indiana in scoring this season with an average of 16.7 points per contest. She ranks in the top 20 in the WNBA in scoring average while also nearing a top-20 ranking in three-point field goal percentage shooting 37.2 percent (48-of-129) from beyond the arc. She also averages 3.0 assists per game so far this season.

As the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year heading into the second half of the season, Boston currently leads all 2023 rookies in scoring average (15.4 ppg), rebounds (8.4 rpg), blocks (1.3 bpg) and minutes played (31.0 mpg). In addition, Boston maintains her number one spot in the league in field goal percentage while shooting 61.0 percent (122-of-200) from the court.

With the absence of starters Smith and Hull, the Fever have relied on Victoria Vivians, Emma Cannon and Grace Berger to provide impactful minutes. In Indiana’s most recent matchup against the New York Liberty on July 12, Cannon tied a career-high 19 points on a season-high seven made field goals while pulling down eight rebounds. Berger set career bests of 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals and 36 minutes of play, and Vivians added three points, nine rebounds and three steals. Indiana’s bench outscored the Liberty, 34-15, in the overtime loss last Wednesday. Boston was the leading the scorer of the game and knocked down a tying three-pointer that sent the teams into extra minutes. She notched 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor.

For Washington, the Mystics (11-8) enter the matchup after defeating the Seattle Storm, 93-86, back on July 11. With leading scorer Elena Delle Donne (18.2 ppg), Shakira Austin (11.4 ppg) and Atkins (12.5 ppg) out with injury, the Mystics are supported in scoring by Sykes and Cloud who average 13.1 and 10.9 points per contest respectively.

Probable Starters

Indiana Fever (5-15)

Guard – Kelsey Mitchell (16.7 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 3.0 apg)
Guard – Erica Wheeler (8.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 5.0 apg)
Guard – Kristy Wallace (7.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Forward – Victoria Vivians (4.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Center – Aliyah Boston (15.4 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.3 bpg)

Washington Mystics (11-8)

Guard – Brittney Sykes (13.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.5 apg)
Guard – Shatori Walker-Kimbrough (5.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.4 apg)
Guard – Natasha Cloud (10.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.2 apg)
Forward – Tianna Hawkins (7.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Forward – Myisha Hines-Allen (5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.7 spg)

Game Status Report

Indiana: Lexie Hull – out (broken nose), NaLyssa Smith – out (left foot stress fracture)
Washington: Ariel Atkins – out (left ankle sprain), Shakira Austin – out (left hip strain), Elena Delle Donne – out (left ankle sprain), Kristi Toliver – out (right plantar fasciitis)