Fever Drop First of Consecutive Games against the Mercury
June 28, 2022 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release
PHOENIX - he Indiana Fever were defeated by the Phoenix Mercury for the second time this season in an 83-71 road loss on Monday night. The Mercury improve to 8-12 this season while the Fever fall to 5-15.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell maintained her place as the league's fourth-leading scorer and ended the night with 22 points, her 12th 20-point scoring effort this season. Forward NaLyssa Smith notched her fifth career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while guard Victoria Vivians reached double-digit points for the 13th time this season with 12 points. Off the bench, Fever forward Emma Cannon also scored a season-high 12 points, reaching double-digits for the second time in her last three outings.
Neither team separated from the other greatly in the opening quarter on Monday night, despite three early makes from beyond the arc for Phoenix's Diana Taurasi. Phoenix led 22-21 after the first quarter, but Taurasi and the Mercury would cool off in the second quarter.
Vivians scored eight points in the quarter and led the way for Indiana to take its first lead of the game 1:19 into the second quarter. Leading 41-37 with 1:55 left in the first half, impactful turnovers from the Fever fueled an 8-0 run by Phoenix to close out the quarter and now lead 45-41 at the half. Kelsey Mitchell and Smith had 12 points each through the first two quarters of play, while Taurasi and Phoenix's Sophie Cunningham both scored 13 points at intermission.
Phoenix came out of the locker room going back to the three-point line in the third quarter, making five three-pointers in the third quarter alone. Indiana only trailed by eight going into the fourth quarter. The Mercury were able to get to the fourth quarter and slow the pace down to eventually seal its second win of the season against the Fever
For Phoenix, all seven of Taurasi's field goals came from the three-point line in her 27-point performance. Skylar Diggins-Smith scored 17 points, Cunningham finished with 16 points, and guard Diamond DeShields added 11 points off the bench. The Mercury recorded season-highs in both three-pointers made (13) and three-pointers attempted (33).
UP NEXT
The Fever and Mercury meet again on Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET in Phoenix.
Wednesday's game will be streamed on the official Indiana Fever Facebook page in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
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