Behind 27 points, nine rebounds and two steals from Aliyah Boston, the Indiana Fever picked up a crucial 95-75 victory over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night in Indianapolis.
Odyssey Sims added 22 points and six assists for the Fever (20-18), while Kelsey Mitchell registered 21 points. It was a top-heavy offense as those were the only players in double digits for the Fever.
Nneka Ogwumike led the Storm (20-19) with 17 points in the loss.
The Fever, who entered the game on the bubble for the playoffs in eighth place, snapped a two-game losing streak. Conversely, the Storm were unable to accomplish a season-best four-game winning streak.
Boston notched her 1,000th career rebound during a third quarter in which she also scored 10 points as the Fever took a 74-56 lead into the final frame.
In the first quarter, Mitchell surpassed Caitlin Clark’s record last year for most points in a single season for the Fever. Clark (groin/ankle), who has been out since July 15, missed the game as she continues to rehab.
Mitchell scored 16 of her points along with two 3-pointers in the first half as the Fever led 50-39 at halftime. Mitchell came up just shy of her fourth straight game with 25-plus points. The prior three-game run was the longest stretch of her career with that accomplishment.
Sims made three of her four 3-point attempts. Her last conversion was the most exciting shot of the game, a 35-footer from the wing that banked in during the fourth quarter, which sent the home fans into a frenzy.
The ferocious Fever defense smothered the Storm into nine turnovers in the first half and 14 in total. Seattle came into the contest leading the league in fewest turnovers committed per game (12.3).
A blocked shot by Brianna Turner resulted in a Mitchell 3-pointer on the other end that put the Fever ahead 22-12 with 2:11 remaining in the first quarter. They settled for a 26-20 lead after 10 minutes.
The Fever swept the season series from the Storm for the first time since 2015 after getting wins in Seattle in the first two matchups. It’s the fourth straight win for the Fever over the Storm dating back to last season.
–Field Level Media
