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WNBA Indiana Fever

Fever Start Postseason at Connecticut on Sunday Afternoon

September 21, 2024 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release


The No. 6 seed Indiana Fever begin postseason play for the first time since the 2016 season at Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday afternoon against the No. 3 seed Connecticut Sun in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs. This best-of-three series will start with the first two games hosted by Connecticut on Sunday and Wednesday and the potential Game 3 hosted by Indiana on Friday.

The 2024 WNBA regular season represented a key milestone for the Fever as Indiana celebrated its first 20-win season since 2015 and first playoff berth since 2016, which also marked the last time Indiana finished with a .500 or better record. The last time the Fever reached the playoffs in 2016, current Sun head coach Stephanie White led Indiana during the postseason. In 2016, the Fever lost in the first round to the Phoenix Mercury and have been in the playoffs a total of 13 times prior to this season.

The Fever nearly erased a 17-point deficit in its final game of the regular season against the Washington Mystics on Thursday in a 92-91 decision at Capital One Arena. Despite the loss, Indiana's bench outscored the Mystics reserves and finished with a season-best 53 points. On Connecticut's end, the Sun finished its regular season on Thursday defeating the Chicago Sky, 87-54.

Connecticut enters the 2024 postseason following a historic regular season that featured a franchise record for the most wins compiled in a regular season with 28, surpassing the previous record of 27 from last season. White, also in her second year as head coach, embarks on her second playoff journey with the Sun on Sunday as she led Connecticut the 2023 WNBA Semifinals. In 2023, Connecticut beat the Minnesota Lynx, 2-1, in the first round before losing to the New York Liberty, 3-1, in the semifinal series. Sunday marks the eighth-consecutive season the Sun have made a postseason appearance - the longest active streak in the WNBA.

Indiana and Connecticut have faced each other three times in the postseason. In 2005, Connecticut swept its series with Indiana, 2-0. Indiana won the next two series' in 2007 and 2012. Connecticut won Game 1 in every postseason series against Indiana.

Among all teams in the league, Indiana eclipsed the top-five in many categories to end the regular season. The Fever finished third in scoring, averaging 85.0 points per game, while Connecticut finished eighth, averaging 80.1 points per game. Entering the postseason, Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark tied for seventh place in scoring among all players both averaging 19.2 points per game, while Sun forward DeWanna Bonner tied for 15th, averaging 15.0 points per game. Indiana finished fourth in rebounding, averaging 35.1 rebounds per game, while Connecticut finished ninth, averaging 33.5 rebounds per game. Fever center Aliyah Boston, Fever forward NaLyssa Smith and Sun forward Alyssa Thomas finished in the top 15 for rebounds in the league, all averaging at least 7.1 rebounds per game. Clark capped the regular season leading all players in assists, averaging 8.4 assists per game, and passed the previously held WNBA single-season assists record of 316 set by Thomas last season for a new record of 337. Indiana ended the regular season ranked first in field goal percentage (45.6 percent), third in 3-point shooting (35.6 percent), fifth in 3-point field goals made (368) and fifth in blocks (4.3 bpg).

This year, Connecticut won the regular season series with Indiana, 3-1, taking the first three games. Indiana avoided a series sweep by the Sun and snapped Connecticut's 11-game winning streak in the regular season series on August 28 in an 84-80 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mitchell led Indiana in the victory with a game-high 23 points and Clark followed with 19 points.

Sat, Sep 21, 2024, 11:19 PM

Indiana Fever at Connecticut Sun (Game 1)

Sunday, Sept. 22

Mohegan Sun Arena | 3:00 p.m. ET

Broadcast Information

ABC

Probable Starters

Indiana Fever

Guard - Kelsey Mitchell (19.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.8 apg)

Guard - Caitlin Clark (19.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 8.4 apg)

Guard - Lexie Hull (5.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.1 apg)

Center - Aliyah Boston (14.0 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 3.2 apg)

Forward - NaLyssa Smith (10.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.1 apg)

Connecticut Sun

Guard - DiJonai Carrington (12.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Guard - Tyasha Harris (10.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.0 apg)

Center - Brionna Jones (13.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 apg)

Forward - DeWanna Bonner (15.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)

Forward - Alyssa Thomas (10.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 7.9 apg)

Game Status Report

Indiana: No injuries.

Connecticut: Tiffany Mitchell - OUT (illness)

Check out the Indiana Fever Statistics

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