The Indiana Fever are on a winning streak and aim to continue their momentum as they face the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, at 7 p.m. ET, airing on CBS Sports Network.
The Fever have clinched their first playoff spot since 2016, marking the end of a long drought. After starting the season 0-5, Indiana is currently above .500 for the first time in five years. They are riding a four-game winning streak and have emerged victorious in six of their last seven games.
Last year, Indiana selected former South Carolina standout Aliyah Boston with the first overall pick, who went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors. This season, the Fever bolstered their roster by adding Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history.
Kelsey Mitchell leads the Fever’s scoring efforts with an average of 19 points per game, while Clark follows closely with 18.7 points per game. Clark also leads the team in assists, averaging 8.4 per game, and Boston stands out as the top rebounder, pulling down nine rebounds per game.
On the other hand, the Sparks hold the league’s worst record at 7-25 but demonstrated their potential last week by halting a seven-game losing streak with a 94-88 victory over the New York Liberty, the WNBA’s top team. This win featured a solid team performance, highlighted by Dearica Hamby’s 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting and rookie Rickea Jackson’s notable contribution of 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including four 3-pointers.
Hamby is leading the Sparks with averages of 17.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. Jackson, who began the season as a bench player, has evolved into the team’s second-highest scorer with an average of 12.6 points per game while shooting 46.6%. Earlier in the season, the Sparks saw excitement with rookie Cameron Brink, formerly of Stanford, but she was sidelined for the year after tearing her ACL in June.
The Fever and Sparks have faced each other twice this season, splitting the series. Their most recent matchup occurred on May 28, where the Sparks came out on top with an 88-82 victory. Kia Nurse led her team with 22 points and five 3-pointers, while Aari McDonald contributed 21 points off the bench. Indiana’s Clark recorded her first 30-point game during that encounter, complemented by Boston’s 17 points in 23 minutes.
Fans can catch the Sparks against the Fever on Wednesday, September 4, at 7 p.m. ET at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on CBS Sports Network.