Indiana Fever (13-14) at Los Angeles Sparks (23-5)

Date: Sunday, September 4, 2016
Time: 7:00 p.m. (EDT)
Site: STAPLES Center (Los Angeles, CA)
Television: NBATV
Webcast: Live webcast and stats can be accessed via WNBA League Pass on FeverBasketball.com. Please note: Webcasts during games televised on FOX Sports Indiana may not be available in local market areas due to blackout restrictions.

Probable Starters
Fever– F- Tamika Catchings, F-Lynetta Kizer, C-Erlana Larkins, G- Shenise Johnson, G-Briann January
Sparks– F- Essence Carson, F- Nneka Ogwumike, C- Candace Parker, G- Alana Beard, G- Kristi Toliver

Storylines & Promotion
• The Indiana Fever begin a two-game road trip Sunday night in Los Angeles as they wrap up the season series with the Sparks at 7:00 p.m.

• Sunday’s game in Los Angeles will air on NBATV with coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

• In the thick of the WNBA playoff race, the Fever currently sit in sixth place with a 13-14 record, just a half-game ahead of Phoenix in seventh, but only one game behind Atlanta and Chicago who are currently tied for fourth place with identical 14-13 records. A fourth seed in the WNBA playoffs would ensure a first-round bye in the WNBA’s new elimination-style playoff format.

• The Sparks (23-5) are looking to lock up the top seed in the postseason as they are currently tied with Minnesota for the best record in the WNBA this season. Los Angeles tied the WNBA record for the best start in league history by beginning the season 20-1. The Sparks then lost four of their next five games, including a 92-82 loss at Indiana on July 19. But the Sparks have won their last two games, including an 87-79 win at Dallas Friday night.

• After two losses in which the Fever were held under 70 points in both outings and shot a combined 36.4 percent (48-132) from the field and 16.1 percent (5-31) from three-point range, Indiana exploded for a season-high 98 points and buried 14 three-pointers – the second-highest total in team history – in a 98-77 win over the New York Liberty Thursday night.

• After two losses in which the Fever were held under 70 points in both outings and shot a combined 36.4 percent (48-132) from the field and 16.1 percent (5-31) from three-point range, Indiana exploded for a season-high 98 points and buried 14 three-pointers – the second-highest total in team history – in a 98-77 win over the New York Liberty Thursday night. The Fever tied the WNBA record for most points scored in a single quarter as they finished with 40 in the opening period against the Liberty.

• Indiana has been the top free throw shooting team in the WNBA for most of the season and currently leads the league while shooting 85.8 percent as a team. Over the last two games, the Fever have shot 44-for-47, 93.6 percent, from the foul line.

• Two key players in Indiana’s run to the WNBA Finals last season, Marissa Coleman and Shenise Johnson have begun to heat up on the offensive end. Johnson set a new career high as she finished with 21 points in Thursday’s win over New York. She has scored in double figures in five of the last six games. Coleman scored a season-high 19 points, including 11 in the team’s record-setting first quarter. She made her first three 3-point attempts and finished with four triples on the night.

• The Fever and Sparks have split two regular season meetings thus far. Indiana roared back by scoring 39 points in the fourth quarter before their comeback attempt fell just short in a 94-88 loss at Los Angeles on July 6.

• The Sparks are powered by their talented frontcourt duo of Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker. Ogwumike has emerged as an MVP candidate this season while averaging 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 70 percent from the field. The do-everything Parker is averaging 15.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
 
Last Meeting
(July 19, 2016) INDIANAPOLIS – In their final home game before the Olympic break, the Fever shot 56 percent from the field and led wire-to-wire in a 92-82 win over the Sparks on July 19. Playing in front of a nationally televised audience, the Fever put together one of their best all-around performances of the season as they forced 20 turnovers to go with their stellar shooting percentage. Tamika Catchings turned in a vintage performance with 23 points and four steals to led the Fever to their 11th win of the season.

Series
Meeting three times in one season for the first time in the history of the series, the Sparks and Fever have split two regular season matchups in 2016. Indiana has not fared well in Los Angeles historically, posting a 3-13 record all time on the road. The Fever managed to escape the STAPLES Center with a 79-68 win during the 2015 season, but have lost five of their last six road trips to Los Angeles dating back to the 2011 season.