The Indiana Fever spent the first quarter against the Phoenix Mercury on Monday digging out from a large deficit.
Two nights later, the Fever hope to start quicker when they host the Mercury on Wednesday in Indianapolis.
Indiana (10-7) is 5-2 in its past seven games and bounced back from allowing 100-plus points in consecutive losses to the Atlanta Dream with Monday’s 86-77 win. The Fever earned the win after getting outscored 19-6 in the first quarter and falling behind by as much as 16.
Indiana shot 2 of 18 in the first quarter, including 2 of 12 from 3-point range. The Fever wound up shooting 54.3%, hitting 10 3s and outscoring Phoenix 80-58 in the final three quarters.
“I thought our energy was low, I thought we were tight,” Indiana coach Stephanie White said. “We settled for a lot of jumpers and when they weren’t going in, you could almost kind of see us getting tighter and we just had to loosen it up.”
After finishing with a game-high 24 points on Monday, Caitlin Clark heads into Wednesday with six straight 20-point games. During those games, Clark is shooting 49% (50 of 102), though Monday the guard also picked her fifth technical foul. That puts her three away from an automatic one-game suspension.
Kelsey Mitchell also has at least 20 in three of her past four games after contributing 22 on Monday. Nine-year veteran Monique Billings is coming off her first double-double in a Fever uniform (14 points, 10 rebounds).
Phoenix (5-13) has lost four of five since consecutive single-digit wins June 3-5 at Seattle and Portland. The Mercury were done in Monday by getting outscored 30-11 in the third quarter.
“We have to do a better job of being ready in the third quarter and sustaining for 40 minutes,” Phoenix forward Alyssa Thomas said.
Four of Phoenix’s recent losses are by 10 points or fewer. The Mercury were held below 80 points for the ninth time this season as they shot 41.2% and missed 20 of 25 3-point attempts.
Phoenix’s dreadful showing from behind the arc came after it made 37.6% (32 of 85) in its previous three games.
Kahleah Copper has averaged 26 points over her past four games, including a 41-point showing on June 13 against Las Vegas. She finished with a team-high 20 against the Fever on Monday.
–Field Level Media
