Indiana Fever (3-22) vs Dallas Wings (14-14)

Date: Thursday, August 2, 2018
Time: 7:00 p.m. (EDT)
Site: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
TV: FOX Sports Indiana, NBA TV
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go

Probable Starters
Fever: F – Victoria Vivians, F – Candice Dupree, C – Natalie Achonwa, G – Cappie Pondexter, G – Erica Wheeler
Wings: F – Kayla Thornton, F – Glory Johnson, C – Liz Cambage, G – Allisha Gray, G – Skylar Diggins-Smith

The Indiana Fever return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to face the Dallas Wings for the third time this season on Thursday. Prior to the All-Star Break, Indiana fell to the Seattle Storm, 92-72, while Dallas is looking to put an end to a three-game losing streak after falling to the Chicago Sky, 92-91, on Tuesday night.

The Fever were led by rookie Kelsey Mitchell shooting 8-of-18 from the field, scoring 26 points in the loss to Seattle. Despite falling to Chicago, center Liz Cambage took charge for Dallas, scoring 33 points and grabbing 13 rebounds on Tuesday.

Injury Report
Guard Shenise Johnson (left knee ACL rehabilitation) remains out and will not play.

Storylines & Promotion
• Thursday night begins a season-ending stretch with eight games over 18 days to cap the 2018 regular season for the Fever.

• Against Dallas during Thursday’s Breast Health Awareness Night presented by St. Vincent, Indiana hopes to avenge a pair of earlier losses while earning an elusive fourth victory.

• Despite 26 points from Kelsey Mitchell and a double-double by Candice Dupree, the Fever absorbed a second straight loss and their 23rd defeat overall while falling to first-place Seattle, 92-72, prior to the All-Star Break. The Storm led wire-to-wire, though Indiana cut the deficit to eight points 80-72 with just over two minutes to play. Down the stretch however, the Fever missed four shots and committed a pair of turnovers as Seattle scored the game’s last 12 points.

• With Indiana’s victory at Los Angeles, the Fever have beaten the current No. 2 (Atlanta), No. 3 (Minnesota), and No. 4 (Los Angeles) teams in the WNBA standings, with two of them on the road.

• Candice Dupree (now 5,926 points; 2,420 field goals) is ninth place on the WNBA’s career scoring chart and third on the career chart for field goals made.

• Cappie Pondexter is fourth on the league’s scoring chart (6,737) and fourth on the list for career field goals made (2,417). Similarly, Pondexter (1,446 free throws) passed Katie Smith (1,440) in fifth place on the WNBA career list, in a July 11 loss to Minnesota.

• Over the past 13 games, opponents averaged 88.5 points (1,150) against the Fever, even despite Indiana holding Minnesota to 59 points on July 3, and L.A. to 76 on July 20.
– Excluding wins at Minnesota and L.A., opponents have average 92.3 points (1,015) over 11 Fever losses since June 27.
– Opponents have topped 100 points three times this season and twice since June 27.
– In 13 games from June 27 to July 24, opponents topped 90 points six times.
– With the exception of wins at Minnesota and Los Angeles, opponents have scored at least 87 points in 11 consecutive games against Indiana.

• Either Kelsey Mitchell (3) or Victoria Vivians (3) has made five 3-pointers on six occasions this season. For sake of comparison, the Fever rookie record is six by Tamika Catchings (7/3/02) and the WNBA rookie standard is seven by Crystal Robinson (7/24/99). Prior to this season, a Fever rookie made five or more 3-pointers in a game nine times in 18 seasons. In 2018, Mitchell (3 times) and Vivians (3) have done it six times in 26 games.

• Indiana’s Kelsey Mitchell (58)-Victoria Vivians (46) rookie tandem sports 104 3-pointers through 26 games, already second in league history by a pair of rookies on the same team. The league mark by a pair of first-year players on the same team is 118.

• Mitchell 58 3-pointers are tied with Maya Moore as fifth-best in league history by a rookie. In pursuit of the league’s record for a rookie, she trails only Diana Taurasi (62 in 2004), Tonya Edwards (66 in 1999), and Tamika Catchings (76 in 2002) and Crystal Robinson (76 in 1999).