Kelsey Mitchell scored a game-high 17 factors and Natasha Howard chipped in 13 to elevate the visiting Indiana Fever over the Chicago Sky 79-52 on Saturday within the first WNBA recreation performed at United Middle.
Indiana (4-4) pressured Chicago (2-5) into 21 turnovers. The Fever led wire to wire and constructed a 30-point lead almost three weeks after routing the Sky by 35.
Success from deep propelled Indiana. The Fever hit 11 3-pointers for the second straight recreation, led by Aari McDonald (12 factors), who related on three from past the arc.
Fever coach Stephanie White missed the sport resulting from private causes. Assistant Austin Kelly served as interim coach.
The Sky shot 32.1 p.c from the ground in comparison with 45.8 p.c for the Fever. Chicago particularly struggled to facilitate after level guard Courtney Vandersloot left the sport with a proper knee damage on a non-contact play within the first quarter. Group coaching workers helped Vandersloot off the ground.
Indiana restricted Chicago to 11 factors within the third quarter. Kamilla Cardoso and Rebecca Allen led the Sky with eight factors apiece. Angel Reese snagged a game-high 12 rebounds.
Aliyah Boston added 11 factors for Indiana. Lexie Hull led the workforce with six rebounds, whereas Boston, Howard and Mitchell grabbed 5 apiece to assist Indiana to a 32-30 benefit on the glass.
Chicago trailed by as many as 14 within the first half because the Fever took a 41-28 benefit into intermission.
Mitchell (9 factors) and Howard (eight) led a balanced assault for Indiana earlier than the break. The Fever dished 11 assists on 14 made first-half area targets.
Indiana’s Caitlin Clark (left quad) and Sophie Cunningham (proper ankle) missed the sport. Clark starred within the Fever’s season-opening dwelling win towards Chicago on Might 17 with a triple-double (20 factors, 10 assists and 10 rebounds).
Clark’s affect on ticket gross sales upon getting into the league in 2024 helped shift the sport from Wintrust Enviornment to United Middle, dwelling of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls. A Sky franchise-record crowd of 19,496 attended the sport. The groups are set to fulfill once more at United Middle on July 27.
Indiana has received 5 of six within the all-time sequence.
–Discipline Stage Media