WNBA Indiana Fever

McCowan's 24 Points and 17 Rebounds Power Indiana Past Las Vegas, 86-71

Published on August 27, 2019 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release


Indiana's 53-33 lead was the Fever's largest halftime advantage of the season. Its 53 points represented the Fever's highest scoring first half of the season.

Rookie center Teaira McCowan registered her eighth double-double of the season, and her second in as many games, matching a career-high with 24 points to go with 17 rebounds. She has posted 46 points and 36 rebounds in her last two games (22 points, 19 rebounds at Seattle).

Kelsey Mitchell finished 4-of-7 from 3-point range on the way to scoring 16 points. She has reached double-digit scoring in 19 of 30 games. Other top Indiana scorers included Candice Dupree with 13 points and Tiffany Mitchell with 12.

The Aces never closed within 18 points in the second half until the game's final minute.

KEY RUN:

Indiana scored the game's first five points and later added the last seven points of the quarter with an 8-1 run in between. Indiana outscored the Aces 29-15 in the first quarter, then tacked on the first five points of the second for a 19-point lead over the game's first 11 minutes (34-15).

Indiana shot 52 percent in the first quarter compared to 23 percent for the Aces. In the opening period, the Fever got seven points from four Las Vegas turnovers.

Kelsey Mitchell's third quarter 3-pointer staked the Fever to a 73-47 lead, their largest lead of the contest (26).

INDIANA NOTES:

Indiana (11-19) won its second straight game to remain in contention for the WNBA's final playoff spot. Indiana now is 5-4 since the All-Star Break, 4-1 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Aces franchise, dating to a three-game sweep by San Antonio Stars in 2017 before the club moved to Las Vegas.

McCowan had secured her eighth double-double of the season before halftime, helping build the Indiana lead with 12 points and 11 rebounds by intermission.

With 17 rebounds on Tuesday and 262 for the season, McCowan moved to No. 10 in league history by a rookie, passing Sophia Young-Malcolm (257 in 2006) and Natalie Williams (262) in 1999. With four games to go, she is 14 rebounds shy of Indiana's rookie rebounding mark by Tamika Catchings (276 in 2002; 6th by a rookie in WNBA history).

In six games since August 10, McCowan averages 17.2 points (103) and 11.3 rebounds (68). In 22 games since June 19 she averages 11.0 points (242) and 10.2 rebounds (225).

McCowan moved to sixth in Fever history with 262 rebounds this season.

Erica Wheeler contributed five points, two assists and matched a career-high with seven rebounds.

Natalie Achonwa played in the 148th game of her pro career, all with Indiana. She tied Jeanette Pohlen-Mavunga with the 10th-most games in club history.

Achonwa sprained her right ankle in the second half. The injury will be evaluated again on Wednesday.

LAS VEGAS NOTES:

Las Vegas (19-12) extended its longest losing streak of the season, dropping each of three games on its Eastern road trip.

For the third straight game, Las Vegas fell behind by double figures in the first quarter (15 at Ind on 8/27, 15 at Min on 8/25, and 11 at Con on 8/23).

Tamera Young got her first start of the season, taking Kelsey Plum's spot in the lineup.

The 33 points scored by the Aces in the first half was the fewest points they have scored in a first half this season.

The 53 points allowed by the Aces in the first half was the second-most they have allowed in a first half this season.

INDIANA QUOTES:

Head Coach Pokey Chatman

"It was nice to carry over some momentum from our win in Seattle and have success against a completely different type of team."

(on McCowan's improvements)

"She's had some really big games but what I notice is that she's done it against different types of teams and players. At Seattle, she played a lot of minutes against smaller, quicker forwards where, earlier, she might have had foul trouble. I think she is staying more vertical, she is playing disciplined. She's figuring things out. She's not letting herself get emotional and she's finding ways to affect the game even when she doesn't have big stats. No matter how she impacts a game, when she does, she opens opportunities for other players. Teams have to defend her."

(on McCowan's most complete game?)

"I think so, especially because of the opponent [Las Vegas] and how they play. They put a lot of pressure on you, whether with Wilson or Cambage inside, or any of their guards. If you're not solid at all five positions, they're a tough team to beat and T was a significant factor in how we were able to control this game."

Kelsey Mitchell

(what did coach have to say to the team after this win?)

"Just that we played at a high level for 40 minutes. It was important that we did that because when we were in LA, we did it at the beginning but we didn't do it the second, third or fourth quarter. I think we just played for 40 minutes and I think the 'heads of the snake,' Cambage (Liz) and Wilson (A'ja), we know that they are obviously great players, but I think we did our jobs and didn't let them beat us. I think that's what helped us."

(What do we have to look forward to after two great back to back wins?)

"L.A. is a different team. We know that they play really fast. They're veteran-like. So, we gotta stay sound and just keep whatever this is, this wave, we want to try to keep it going and play at a high level."

Quoting the Fever's Teaira McCowan

(How was it playing against Liz Cambage?)

"But it was good, it was competitive. Fought every possession. I just tried to limit her touches. We know what she can do. I just tried to keep her from having a great game."

(do you think that was Coach Laimbeer's message at halftime, to throw the ball inside?)

"Definitely. I think they went in, talked about some stuff and thought about where they really make an impact to get back into the game. They came out and punched it in the first few possessions. They got me a little bit, but I bounced back."

LAS VEGAS QUOTES:

Head Coach Bill Laimbeer

(On the lineup change)

"Well we're searching. We know we got off to bad starts. Today was no exception. I thought having Kelsey (Plum) come off the bench would take a little bit of pressure off of her. Maybe give her an opportunity to get a few more shots. And it happened today. But I think we're going to have to search around. Right now we're not a very good basketball team. We know that. We don't play hard enough. And that's one of the tasks we have to find is learn how to play hard again."

(Can you explain the last two games?)

"We don't play hard enough right now. We've lost our way. We're a very tired basketball team mentally and physically. But that's just professional sports. It does not stop. I've been in this situation numerous times as a player and as a coach. There's only one way out of it. That is to come to work every day and work as hard as you can."

Kelsey Plum

(on coming off the bench)

"I don't care about that. We're trying to win. So obviously, what we've been doing, we've gotten off to slow starts. Coach is just trying to get a different look. Tamera [Young] brings a lot of things to the table defensively and she rebounds and we can switch with her. Also, she's good at getting to the rims. Coach just wanted a different look and my job is to be a professional, go out and play hard. Whatever I can do for my team, that's what I'm going to do. And that's what I'm going to continue to do, regardless if I'm starting or not."

A'ja Wilson

(what can you take from this to rebound for the Sparks on Saturday?)

"We just have to go back home and regroup, honestly. That's pretty much it. Bring a little bit more energy and come together. But I think the biggest thing, it's on us. It really is on us. Indiana played a great game. It seemed like they couldn't miss. We just gotta go back and regroup and get ready for the Sparks."

(do you think team can fight through fatigue?)

"We don't have any choice but to get through it. I think we are a little tired. We've been on the road for quite a bit. We really just need to go back and get back into practice. We haven't had practice time. We have no choice but to get it back at this point."

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