The WNBA’s highest-scoring team will look to showcase its firepower Friday when the streaking Indiana Fever visit the expansion Portland Fire.
The Fever (18-10) have won four straight games to build the best record in the Eastern Conference. In all four wins, Indiana scored at least 105 points.
Indiana, which scores 95.8 points per game, has gotten massive production from its trio of All-Stars, Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. The three have combined for 62.1 ppg on the season, and Clark has averaged 30.3 points per game during the winning streak.
On Tuesday, Indiana bested Seattle 105-95 behind 32 points from Clark and 28 more from Mitchell. Boston was limited to 11 points in 11 minutes of playing time as she suffered a lower right leg injury and did not return after halftime.
Boston was listed as probable for Friday on Thursday’s injury report, as was Clark (back).
Fever coach Stephanie White was pleased with Indiana’s offensive prowess.
“Basketball is kind of like a dance,” she said after the win. “Everybody’s got to be in sync and everybody’s got to be together … and you can tell when you are.”
Indiana has shot 50% or better in each game of its four-game run and has connected on 10 or more 3-pointers in every game.
Portland (11-17) has seen its momentum head the other direction with three consecutive losses.
The Fire lost 98-83 Tuesday at Las Vegas in their first game without guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in the previous game.
“I think it’s probably going to take a few games to adjust to that,” Fire coach Alex Sarama said of the absence of Barker, who averaged 10.7 points per game.
Portland trailed by 15 points after the first quarter and never really challenged, despite 20 points from Megan DiLeo and a season-best 16 points from reserve Frieda Buhner.
“We’re a development-oriented program,” Sarama said, “so we’ve got to keep going.”
–Field Level Media
