Fever look to cap road swing with upset bid against Mercury in Phoenix
The Indiana Fever wrap up a three-game road trip on Tuesday night in Phoenix, visiting the Mercury for the teams’ final regular-season meeting. Tip-off at PHX Arena is set for 10:00 p.m. ET, with NBA TV/WTHR providing television coverage and radio outlets 93.5/107.5 The Fan carrying the audio.
Probable starters
Indiana Fever (21-19)
– Guard: Odyssey Sims
– Guard: Kelsey Mitchell
– Forward: Lexie Hull
– Forward: Natasha Howard
– Center: Aliyah Boston
Phoenix Mercury (25-14)
– Guard: Monique Akoa Makani
– Guard: Kahleah Copper
– Forward: Alyssa Thomas
– Forward: Natasha Mack
– Center: Satou Sabally
Game preview
The Fever head to Phoenix looking to finish their three-game road trip on a high note and secure as much momentum as possible heading into the final stretch of the regular season. Indiana and Phoenix have split their first two meetings this year, each winning on their home floor.
Indiana’s recent performance took a dip when their two-game win streak ended in Sunday’s loss at Golden State, a game in which the Fever struggled offensively, shooting a season-low percentage from the field. The setback dropped Indiana from sixth to eighth in the standings, leaving them with four games left on the schedule to climb back up.
Phoenix, meanwhile, has already clinched a playoff berth and is locked in a tight fight with Las Vegas, Atlanta, and New York for a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the opening round. The Mercury have won four in a row, most recently beating the Liberty 80-63 on Saturday. Satou Sabally leads Phoenix in scoring at 16.6 points per game, while Kahleah Copper isn’t far behind at 16.3 ppg. All-WNBA forward Alyssa Thomas is putting up 15.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and leads the league with 9.2 assists per game, underscoring Phoenix’s balance and playmaking ability.
Key matchups and storylines
– The Fever will lean on Aliyah Boston in the middle and Natasha Howard on the wing, trying to impose interior defense and rebounding against a Phoenix frontline that features Sabally and Thomas.
– Phoenix’s depth and ball movement will challenge Indiana’s defense, with Thomas’ playmaking likely a focal point for the Mercury’s offensive sets.
– Efforts on shot selection and maintaining pace down the stretch of the season could determine how these teams set up for their playoff push.
Outlook
Phoenix arrives with momentum and a playoff berth already secured, but with a top-four seed still in play, every game matters down the stretch. Indiana is playing for positioning and momentum as well, aiming to finish the road trip positively and build confidence heading toward the final four games of the regular season.
Summary
A challenging road matchup awaits the Fever as they face a Phoenix team that has found form and postseason relevance. Expect a battle in the paint from Boston and a strong supporting dose of scoring from a Mercury lineup that features Sabally, Copper, and Thomas, who is orchestrating Phoenix’s offense at a high level. The result could hinge on how well Indiana limits turnovers and contains the Mercury’s multi-faceted scoring attack.
Extra notes
– Watch for Phoenix’s ability to maximize transition opportunities and ball movement to create open looks for their scorers.
– Indiana will need efficient shooting and strong defense from its guard duo to slow down a Mercury offense that has shown versatility this season.
– This game could have implications for home-court advantage in the first round depending on how the standings shake out in the final weeks.