The Indiana Fever (12-12) will host the Las Vegas Aces (12-11) on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with the two teams looking to break a 1-1 season series tie. In their previous encounters, each team has successfully defended its home court, with the most recent matchup being a decisive 81-54 victory for Indiana on July 3.
The teams enter the contest on opposite trajectories. The Fever are looking to rebound after two consecutive losses to the New York Liberty, while the visiting Aces are riding a three-game winning streak that has pushed their record above .500.
In its latest game on Tuesday, Indiana held a third-quarter lead against the defending champion Liberty before a 15-0 run by New York turned the tide in a 98-84 defeat. Despite the loss, Fever All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell delivered her second-highest scoring output of the season, tallying 29 points on 11-for-21 shooting.
The Aces’ recent success has been powered by three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, who is in exceptional form. During the team’s winning streak, Wilson has recorded three consecutive double-doubles while averaging an incredible 31.7 points and 12.7 rebounds. She currently ranks second in the WNBA in scoring (22.4 ppg) and rebounding (9.3 rpg), and leads the league in blocks (2.4 bpg).
The formidable Las Vegas offense is further bolstered by key contributors Jackie Young, who averages 16.7 points per game, and Chelsea Gray, who adds 12.0 points and 4.5 assists.
Thursday’s game will also feature the on-court debut of the Fever’s relaunched special edition ‘Stranger Things’ uniforms, a collaboration with Netflix.
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