Indiana (4-6) vs. Washington (6-3)

Date: Thursday, July 2, 2015
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Conn.)
Radio: 107.5/1070 The Fan
Television: None
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

• Indiana (4-6) returns to Bankers Life Fieldhouse this Thursday to begin a four game home stand through July 15. This Thursday’s matchup comes against the Eastern Conference’s second place Washington Mystics (6-3).
• Last time out, the Fever won their third straight road game, snapping the Connecticut Suns’ seven-game win streak on June 30.
• It was Indiana’s first road win at Connecticut since 2011, snapping a seven-game road losing streak to the Sun. Remarkably, Indiana is 3-2 on the road this season with its string of consecutive wins matching a franchise record for the seventh time.
• Tamika Catchings played in the 400th game of her WNBA career and became the fourth player in league history with 3,000 rebounds. She is just 14 rebounds from becoming the No. 3 career rebounder in league history. Against the Sun, she finished with game highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds to register the 93rd double-double of her career. Remarkably, she didn’t miss a shot until 8:06 remained in the contest.
• Catchings’ near perfection and Indiana’s new up-tempo offense produced a season-high 92 points and the Fever’s most points in a regular season road game since a 104-82 win at Phoenix in August 2010. The Fever shot a season-best 55 percent from the floor, including 8-of-13 (62 percent) from 3-point range.
• Catchings is now averaging 52.9 percent this season from beyond the arc (9-of-17), which ranks second in the league. Shenise Johnson’s 45.5 percent on 10-of-22 shooting from 3-point range has her at fifth overall in the category.
• The Fever also have three players in the league’s top 25 for field goal percentage. Rookie Natalie Achonwa ranks sixth with 52.6 percent (40-of-76), Lynetta Kizer is 12th with 49.2 percent (32-of-65) and Johnson’s 45.9 percent average (34-of-74) has her ranked 21st.
• Achonwa continues to lead all rookies in scoring with 10.2 points per game. She ranks second among first-year players in field-goal percentage (52.6 percent) and fourth in rebounding average (4.6).
• Briann January tied her season-high and recorded a game-high seven assists in the game at Connecticut Tuesday. She ranks eighth in the league in assists per game (3.9) and nine in the league in steals per contest, averaging 1.6 through 10 games.
• Shavonte Zellous (back) and Erlana Larkins (knee) remain out of action for Thursday’s game vs. Washington. Jeanette Pohlen (calf) is questionable.

Probable Starters
Fever – F-Tamika Catchings, F-Marissa Coleman, C-Natalie Achonwa, G-Shenise Johnson, G-Briann January
Mystics – F-Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, F-Emma Meesseman, C- Stefanie Dolson, G-Kara Lawson, G-Ivory Latta

Last Meeting
(June 20, 2015) With both teams feeling the fatigue of back-to-back games, the Washington Mystics outlasted 87-75 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Ivory Latta scored 21 of her 24 points in the second half as Washington won its third road game to start the season. Briann January and Lynetta Kizer led the Fever with 14 points apiece, and while the Mystics totaled 51.7 percent shooting for the game, Indiana shot 36.1 percent overall. Shenise Johnson knocked down a three to cut the Washington lead to 79-73 with less than three minutes to play, but Latta answered with a pair of threes to push the Mystics’ lead back to 12 with 1:39 left.

Last Games
Fever: (June 30, 2015) Tamika Catchings was nearly perfect on Tuesday during a 92-84 Fever victory over the Connecticut Sun, finishing with game highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds. Indiana nearly ran away with a third straight double-figure road margin until the Sun staged a comeback in the final minutes. With 1:48 left in the third quarter, Indiana was up by a commanding score of 74-51. The Sun awoke in the fourth, however, going on 24-7 run and cutting the Fever lead to 83-79 with 2:23 to play. Catchings sunk a baseline jumper, and free throws from Natalie Achonwa and Catchings helped put the game on ice for Indiana. Shenise Johnson finished with 13 points and Achonwa with 10 of her own. Kelsey Bone paced Connecticut with 21 points and Alex Bentley added 18.

Mystics: (June 28, 2015) Emma Meesseman scored 20 points and Stefanie Dolson added a career-high 19 along with 10 rebounds to lead the Washington Mystics to an 86-71 win Sunday over the Chicago Sky. Tayler Hill tied a career-best with 16 points and Ivory Latta matched her. The Mystics hit 10 of their 19 3-pointers and shot 50 percent from the field. The Sky missed all eight of their 3-point attempts. Elena Delle Donne scored 26 points to lead Chicago, sinking all eight of her free throws. Cappie Pondexter and Allie Quigley added 10 each. Washington led as many as 20 after Latta’s 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining in the third quarter. The lead never went under double digits thereafter.

Series
Indiana meets Washington for the second time this season at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, heading into the matchup with a 37-20 series lead. Despite dropping four straight home bouts with the Mystics, the Fever hold a 19-10 advantage on their home court. Indiana won six straight home dates against Washington prior to the current streak.