INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever concluded the regular season series against the Las Vegas Aces with a 94-69 loss at home on Sunday evening. WNBA Rookie-of-the-Year candidate NaLyssa Smith led the Fever with 18 points and 13 rebounds, recording her 20th career game scoring at least 10 points and her eighth double-double of the season. Smith also tied a career-high with seven offensive rebounds. In the fourth quarter alone, Smith scored 14 of the Fever’s final 21 points.
Indiana dropped to 5-27 with Las Vegas improving to 22-8 this season in the first game of the season without guard Kelsey Mitchell in the Fever lineup.
Both teams combined to shoot 13-of-40 in the opening quarter of the second game in three days at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Indiana came out hitting four of its first seven shots to begin the second quarter, but trailed by 12 heading into halftime. Rookie guard Destanni Henderson led the Fever at the intermission with 11 points in the opening half. After playing a career-high 31 minutes, Henderson ended the game with 16 points off the bench for her second consecutive game scoring double-digits.
The third quarter was marked by Aces guard Kelsey Plum. With the game at 50-39, Plum scored the next 15 points for Las Vegas and finished the quarter with 19 of the Aces’ 28 points. Plum scored a game-high 26 points and now has 15 career games with at least 20 points. Three players finished with 13 points — Princeton, Indiana native Jackie Young, forward A’ja Wilson and forward Theresa Plaisance.
UP NEXT
Indiana heads out to take on the Atlanta Dream at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
Wednesday’s game will be streamed on the official Indiana Fever Facebook page, as well as broadcast on NBA TV.