Indiana Fever vs. Seattle Storm
Thursday, June 27
Climate Pledge Arena | 10:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast Information
WALV, Prime Video
Probable Starters
Indiana Fever (7-10)
Indiana Fever (7-11)
Guard – Caitlin Clark (16.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.6 apg)
Guard – Kelsey Mitchell (16.4 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Center – Aliyah Boston (13.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.7 apg)
Guard – Kristy Wallace (5.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.3 apg)
Forward – NaLyssa Smith (11.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.3 apg)
Seattle Storm (10-6)
Guard – Jewell Loyd (18.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.8 apg)
Guard – Skylar Diggins-Smith (14.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 6.1 apg)
Center – Ezi Magbegor (13.3 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.5 apg)
Forward – Nneka Ogwumike (17.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
Forward – Victoria Vivians (4.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.0 apg)
Game Status Report
Indiana: Temi Fagbenle – QUESTIONABLE (Left Foot)
Seattle: None
GAME PREVIEW:
The Indiana Fever (7-11) begin its second three-game trip this regular season on Thursday against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena. Thursday’s matchup marks the third of four meetings between the Fever and Storm during the 2024 regular season. Indiana faced the Storm in the fifth regular season game in Seattle on May 22 and fell, 85-83, while the Storm traveled to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the most recent matchup and won, 103-88.
Last week, the Fever built a four-game win streak with victories against the Washington Mystics, 88-81, and the Atlanta Dream, 91-79, before falling to the Chicago Sky, 88-87.
Sunday’s loss against the Sky was the fourth-consecutive game Fever guards Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, center Aliyah Boston and forward NaLyssa Smith all scored in double figures. Mitchell put up a season-high 24 points, Boston followed with 18 points, Clark added 17 points and Smith ended with 12 points each against the Sky. Clark ended with a franchise-best 13 assists, eclipsing the prior franchise record of 12 assists in a single game set by Fever guard Erica Wheeler during the 2023 season.
Clark currently leads all rookies in scoring and assists averaging 16.3 points and 6.6 assists per contest. She ranks fourth in assists per game among all players in the league heading into Thursday night. Mitchell ranks 13th in the league in scoring at 16.4 points per game, while Clark is tied for 14th. Boston and Smith rank ninth and 12th, respectively, in rebounds per game in the WNBA with 7.9 rpg and 7.0 rpg.
In the Fever and Storm’s last matchup, Smith led Indiana with a game and season-high 23-point, 10-rebound double-double. Clark trailed with 20 points and nine assists. Mitchell and Boston both scored in double figures, posting 14 and 11 points apiece along with 11 rebounds from Boston. Four of five Storm starters scored in double figures as well, led by Loyd’s 22-point performance. Seattle outscored Indiana in paint points, 56-34, and bench points, 26-18, but Indiana outrebounded the Storm, 36-32.
Thursday’s matchup against Indiana will be the second game of a nine-game homestand for Seattle, which will last until July 14. The Storm has lost two of its last three games, but did secure a 72-61 win against the Connecticut Sun last time out. Five Storm players scored in double figures in the win, starting with guard Jewell Loyd’s 16-point, five-rebound and five-assist performance. Storm guard Skylar Diggins-Smith and forward Nneka Ogwumike both posted 13 points in the win, while center Ezi Magbegor followed with 11 points and nine rebounds.
Loyd is seventh in the WNBA averaging 18.4 points per game and Ogwumike ranks 11th with 17.7 ppg. Magbegor is tied for fifth in the league averaging 9.6 rebounds per contest and Diggins-Smith is one spot behind Clark, averaging 6.1 assists per contest. Magbegor enters Thursday night as the league leader in blocked shots per game, averaging 2.5 per game. The Storm own the top offensive and defensive rebounding numbers in the WNBA, including a league-leading .521 rebounding percentage.