EMMA CANNON’S CAREER NIGHT LIFTS FEVER TO HOME WIN AGAINST PHOENIX

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Fever forward Emma Cannon scored a career-high 23 points in Tuesday night’s 72-71 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Phoenix Mercury. Cannon earned her ninth career start on Tuesday and made a season-high eight field goals on 17 attempts from the floor, while also pulling down a season-high nine rebounds.

Fever All-Star Kelsey Mitchell netted 21 points on the night to go along with two assists and two steals. After completing her third of five total field goals in the matchup, Mitchell reached 1,000 career made field goals and ended the night maintaining her second place position in the franchise ranks with 1,002 career field goals.

Fever guard Erica Wheeler added 13 points in the win and dished out two assists. Fever All-Star Aliyah Boston added six points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Boston pulled down her 200th career rebound in the second quarter and ended the night with 205 total rebounds through the first 26 games of her career.

After opening the first five minutes of play shooting 6-of-8 from the court, Indiana finished the first frame 9-of-17 from the floor and outscored the Mercury, 18-6, in the paint. Mitchell guided Indiana’s offensive effort in the first ten minutes as she netted 11 points on 2-of-3 shooting from the floor while also shooting 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. Following a quarter that featured five lead changes, the Mercury led the Fever, 28-27, going into the second frame.

The second quarter belonged to Cannon after she notched 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the floor while pulling down four rebounds. Cannon’s layup at the 3:50 earned the Fever a six-point lead, which was the largest lead for either team through the first half, and capped off Indiana’s 18-7 scoring run. Indiana held on to a three-point advantage as the second quarter ended, 46-43.

Indiana maintained its lead through the third quarter holding Phoenix to 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from the floor and outscored the Mercury, 17-14. After extending the advantage to as many as eight points on one occasion, the Fever led the Mercury, 63-57, as the third quarter concluded.

The Fever took an 11-point lead, their largest lead of the night, at the 7:12 mark of the fourth frame, but a 14-2 Phoenix scoring run allowed the Mercury to reduce the deficit and bring the lead within one point with roughly two minutes remaining. Though Phoenix succeeded in overcoming the deficit by taking a one-point lead at the 2:18 mark, a layup from Cannon allowed the Fever to overtake the advantage for the final time with one minute remaining and secure the win.

For Phoenix, the Mercury were guided by Diana Taurasi’s season-high 29 points on a season-best 10 made field goals on 16 attempts. Taurasi also tied a season-high five completed three-point field goals on eight attempts and shot 4-of-4 from the free throw line. In addition, she dished out three assists and pulled down five rebounds.

Megan Gustafson followed behind with 17 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the floor to go along with four rebounds. Shey Peddy added seven points and Sug Sutton contributed six points, while both players also dished out three assists each.

UP NEXT
The Fever take on the Washington Mystics on Friday at 7 p.m. ET. Friday’s game will be broadcast only on ION.