Indiana Fever (16-9) vs. New York Liberty (18-7)

Date: Sunday, August 23, 2015
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Site: Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Radio: 107.5/1070 The Fan
Television: FOX Sports Indiana
Webcast: Live webcast and stats can be accessed via WNBA Live Access on FeverBasketball.com, (Webcasts during games televised on FOX Sports Indiana may not be available in local market areas due to blackout restrictions.)

Storylines & Promotion

• Following a week-long road trip, the Indiana Fever (16-9) maintain sole possession of second place, just two games behind front-running New York (18-7) whom the Fever play Sunday evening in Indianapolis at 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday’s matchup pits the two hottest teams in the WNBA. The second-place Fever has won five straight and 8 of 9 overall. Indiana also boasts a seven-game home win streak. First-place New York has won back-to-back games and 6 of 7 overall.
• All five games of the Fever’s current win streak have been won by a double-digit margin.
• The Fever have won a franchise-best four straight road games following the West Coast swing last week. Indiana defeated Washington (Aug. 11), Phoenix (Aug. 16), Los Angeles (Aug. 18) and Seattle (Aug. 21) while away from Indianapolis.
• The game against the Storm was the second time in three nights and two West Coast cities the Fever trailed at the intermission, only to take the lead after a dominant third quarter. At Los Angeles on Tuesday, the Fever turned a 14-point deficit into a 24-6 third-quarter run and an eventual 25-point turnaround that resulted in an 11-point win, just Indiana’s third ever at Staples Center.
• Friday’s win in Seattle marked just the Fever’s fourth ever in Seattle, but the seventh time in eight meetings the Fever has beaten the Storm. Indiana swept the series for the second straight season and swept a three-game West Coast trip for the first time in its history.
• Indiana has won five straight overall, eight of its last nine games, and 13 of 16 since beginning the season 3-6 under first-year coach Stephanie White. Needless to say, the Fever has gelled under White’s leadership.
• The Fever have three players ranked in the top 10 in the league for 3-point field goal percentage. Shenise Johnson is tied for first, shooting 41.8 percent, Maggie Lucas is in third with 40.6 percent and Briann January rounds it out for Indiana with 38.8 percent from beyond the arc this season. January also ranks 10th in assists per game with 3.5.
• As a team, the Fever leads the WNBA in 3-point shooting, both on offense and on defense.
• Tamika Catchings currently ranks 16th in the WNBA in scoring with 12.9 points per game. Her 6.8 rebounds per game and 1.77 steals per game rank ninth and fourth, respectively in the league.
• Already the league’s all-time leader in steals (996), Catchings needs just four more thefts to become the ONLY player in league history with 1,000 steals in a career.

Probable Starters
Fever – F-Tamika Catchings, F-Marissa Coleman, C-Lynetta Kizer, G-Shenise Johnson, G-Briann January
Liberty – F- Swin Cash, F- Tina Charles, C-Carolyn Swords, G-Epiphanny Prince, G-Tanisha Wright

Last Meeting
(July 29, 2015) Shenise Johnson scored 19 points to lead a balanced offense and the Indiana Fever ended the New York Liberty’s five-game winning streak with a 84-72 victory. Briann January had all 12 of her points in the second half to go with a season-high eight assists for the Fever. Indiana started a 17-2 run late in the third quarter and led 74-59 at 6:13 of the fourth quarter when Maggie Lucas hit a 3-pointer. Epiphanny Prince, who had 17 points, scored six as the Liberty came right back with 10 straight but they only had three points in the last four minutes. Tina Charles led New York with 18 points.

Last Games
Fever: (August 21, 2015) Shenise Johnson had 16 points and the Indiana Fever outscored the Seattle Storm 30-9 in the third quarter to roll to a 75-63 victory Friday night. Tamika Catchings and Lynetta Kizer added 14 points each for the Fever. Jewell Loyd had 15 points for the Storm. Seattle shot 68 percent in taking a 43-37 lead at the half, but made just 3-of-15 shots in the third quarter. Catchings had four points and Johnson drilled a 3-pointer in a 9-0 run midway through the quarter that put the Fever up for good at 53-45. Indiana led by 15 after three quarters and Seattle never threatened.

Liberty: (August 21, 2015) Tina Charles had 25 points and seven rebounds to help the New York Liberty beat the Atlanta Dream 78-67 on Friday night for their sixth victory in seven games. New York trailed by nine points midway through the third quarter, but closed on a 15-3 run to take a 54-51 lead. The Dream only made one field goal in the last six minutes of the quarter. Brittany Boyd’s 3-pointer started New York’s 9-2 spurt to open the fourth for a 10-point lead. Tiffany Hayes led Atlanta with 17 points and Angel McCoughtry had 13.

Series
The Fever split two road trips to New York earlier in the season as they escaped with an 80-63 victory over the Liberty on June 19. Including an 84-72 decision at the Fieldhouse on July 29, the Fever have won five consecutive home matchups over the Liberty. New York has not won in Indianapolis since July 23, 2013. Indiana owns a 37-22 series lead overall, and a 21-7 lead at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.