August 16, 2015 – Lynetta Kizer scored 19 points and grabbed four rebounds to lead the Fever past the Mercury for their sixth win in seven games and 11 of their last 14, 75-63.

PHOENIX – If injuries can spark a team to inspired play, the Indiana Fever may have downed the Phoenix Mercury with just that inspiration.

The absence of both its centers, and first quarter stitches to starting guard Shenise Johnson, were the backdrop in a 75-63 Indiana blowout at US Airways Center.

Lynetta Kizer scored a career-high 19 points in her fourth start of the season, replacing Erlana Larkins who remained in Indianapolis with an injured left leg that required further evaluation from Fever medical personnel. Indiana was already playing without 16-game starting center Natalie Achonwa, who remained absent while helping the Canadian National Team earn a berth in the 2016 Olympics.

Minus Larkins and Achonwa, Indiana responded by outrebounding Brittney Griner and the taller Mercury, 37-33. The Fever used 19 assists on 31 field goals to shoot 44 percent from the floor to race past the defending champions.

“Kizer stepped up when we really needed it,” said first-year Fever coach Stephanie White. “She had good attention to detail on defense and we obviously needed her scoring and inside presence.”

Indiana’s bench, averaging a WNBA-high 29 points per game, finished with 26 points. Six players scored at least seven points and the Fever defense limited Phoenix to 38 percent shooting. The Mercury, third in the WNBA in 3-point shooting percentage, missed all 13 attempts outside the arc.

“I’m really proud of our team tonight,” added White. “That was a heckuva road win against a really good team in a tough environment.”

It may have been a brief absence by WNBA Most Improved Player candidate Shenise Johnson that lit the Fever’s fire.

The Fever trailed 9-8 when Johnson exited after an elbow to the left side of her forehead late in the first period. Seven minutes later, she returned after receiving stitches, but not after a 10-0 Indiana spurt led by Layshia Clarendon put the Fever in the lead.

Clarendon, Johnson’s replacement, ignited what would become a 20-6 Indiana streak, forcing Phoenix to call timeout when the Fever lead ballooned to 24-15. Clarendon scored six of her eight points during the early run, shooting 3-of-3 from the floor and setting the tone for Indiana the rest of the way.

Indiana took a 39-29 advantage into the halftime locker room, and saw its lead reach 19, 50-31, on a jumper by Kizer with 7:28 in the third. The Fever led by 23 with 3:52 in the third, 59-36, when a Johnson steal produced a sprinting layup and subsequent free throw by Shavonte Zellous.

The Mercury never posed a serious challenge thereafter, getting only as close as 12 at the final buzzer.

In a return to her college hometown where she played at Arizona State, Briann January finished with 12 points and four assists while becoming the third-leading scorer in franchise history. Her perimeter defense was largely responsible for the Mercury’s long-distance shooting woes. Zellous added 11 points.

Johnson snapped a streak of seven straight games with double-figure scoring, but added seven rebounds, five assists, four stitches and a steal to her five points. Marissa Coleman added nine points and five rebounds, while Tamika Catchings had four points and nine boards.

The first of Catchings’ rebounds, at the 7:34 mark of the first quarter, was the 7,031st of her career, pushing her past Tina Thompson as the second-leading rebounder in WNBA history. She also added two assists to become just the seventh player in league history with 1,400 assists.

Both teams had won 5 of 6 entering the contest, but the Phoenix streak was snapped as Indiana swept the season series and pushed its road record to 6-5. The Fever have won three of their past four on the road, with wins in 11 of their last 14 games overall.

Indiana continues a four-game road swing at Los Angeles, Tuesday, before traveling to Seattle on Friday.