Game Preview: Fever Welcome Storm to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday Night.
Guard – Kelsey Mitchell (14.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 1.9 apg)
Guard – Caitlin Clark (17.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.3 apg)
Center – Aliyah Boston (11.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 0.8 spg)
Forward – Katie Lou Samuelson (4.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.0 spg)
Forward – NaLyssa Smith (9.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 0.9 bpg)
Seattle Storm (4-3).
Guard – Jewell Loyd (19.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.0 spg)
Guard – Skylar Diggins-Smith (13.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 5.7 apg)
Forward – Victoria Vivians (4.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg)
Forward – Nneka Ogwumike (19.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.2 spg)
Center – Ezi Magbegor (13.4 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.9 bpg)
Game Status Report.
Indiana: Temi Fagbenle – Out (Left Foot), Erica Wheeler – Out (Personal Reasons)
Seattle: No Injuries
GAME PREVIEW:
In the second of three home games this week, the Indiana Fever welcome the Seattle Storm to Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. ET. Thursday marks the second of four matchups between the Fever and Storm this season, and Indiana is seeking redemption after a narrow 85-83 loss to the Storm just eight days ago at Climate Pledge Arena.
Last Wednesday against Seattle, Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark topped Indiana’s scoring charts with 21 points and seven assists and also added seven rebounds and two blocks.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell trailed closely behind Clark with 17 points and three rebounds. Clark enters Thursday’s game as the 13th leading scorer in the WNBA averaging 17.3 points per game. Forward NaLyssa Smith grabbed her first double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds and also tallied two steals.
Fever center Temi Fagbenle, who got the first start of her career last Saturday in Indiana’s meeting with the Las Vegas Aces, recorded eight points, six rebounds and three blocks off the bench against the Storm.
Fagbenle will be absent from the Fever lineup after being ruled out on Wednesday with an injury sustained on Tuesday.
Thursday’s game could come down to the battle on the glass. Seattle is the second best rebounding team in the WNBA averaging 38.3 rebounds per game, while Indiana pulls down 32.5 rebounds per contest this season.
For Seattle, Storm guard and Notre Dame legend Jewell Loyd fronted the team’s win with a season-high 32 points and 11 rebounds, as well as six assists.
Storm forward Nneka Ogumike followed with 22 points, nine rebounds and three assists and center Ezi Magbegor recorded 14 points, nine rebounds and three blocks to push the Storm towards a narrow victory against Indiana. Loyd and Ogwumike enter Thursday as the 11th and 12th leading scorers this year averaging 19.4 and 19.0 points per game.