WNBA RECAP: Indiana 78, Phoenix 60
July 8, 2016 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release
KEY STAT:
* Indiana scored 28 points in the first half, but erupted for 30 in the third quarter, helping produce the Fever's largest victory margin (18) of the season.
* For the game, Indiana pounded the ball to the rim, amassing 50 points in the paint, to just 28 for Phoenix.
* Indiana forced 27 Mercury turnovers, matching the second-best figure ever by a Fever defense and the highest of any team in the WNBA this season. The Fever had a season-high 18 steals and scored 36 points off Mercury turnovers.
* Indiana produced a solid assist-to-steals ratio with 18 assists on 32 baskets, to go with its 18 steals.
KEY RUN:
* Indiana outscored Phoenix 30-10 in the third quarter, sparked by seven points from Briann January and six apiece from Lynetta Kizer and Erica Wheeler. The third-quarter outburst represented the largest one-quarter margin of the Fever season.
INDIANA NOTES:
* Indiana placed four players in double figures, led by Larkins and January with 13, while Lynetta Kizer and Tiffany Mitchell each scored 10. Tamika Catchings and Erica Wheeler finished with 9.
* Erlana Larkins shot 6-of-8 from the floor, following a 6-of-7 effort at Los Angeles two nights earlier. She has shot 12-of-15 in two West Coast games this week. Larkins contributed her fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
* Playing her final regular season game ever in Phoenix, 36-year old Tamika Catchings finished with nine points and six rebounds. The Fever scoring leader had scored in double figures in eight straight games.
* In a return to her college hometown where she attended Arizona State, Briann January contributed 13 points, three assists and a career-high six steals.
* Trailing 29-28 at halftime, Indiana erupted for 30 points in the third quarter against Phoenix - slightly reminiscent of a WNBA-record 39-point fourth quarter in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The near-comeback in L.A. saw Indiana tie the league record for the most fourth-quarter points scored, only the sixth team in WNBA history to score at least 39 points in any quarter.
* Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak while beating the Mercury for the fourth straight time, sweeping the series last year and winning the first two meetings in 2016. Phoenix lost for the third time in four games.
INDIANA QUOTES:
Head Coach Stephanie White: "The biggest difference for us was, in the second half we turned our defense into our offense. We finished strong to end the first half and we maintained the intensity, and then things just snow-balled. We know that when we play good defense, we can turn that into scoring. I think it was a collective effort. We collapsed and made things difficult for [Brittney] Griner and we tried to make everything difficult for Phoenix on the offensive end."
Briann January: "We played well to end the second quarter and we came out really aggressive in the third. We kept it rolling. We knew we needed to keep on them. We had some great activity on defensive. We had great energy and we increased the intensity. We got some turnovers to create some easy shots and we just kept it rolling."
January on emotional game: "I try to play with pride. As a team, we want to play for each other, and I want to lift and motivate my team. [Phoenix] was getting a little chippy close to halftime, so I wanted to step things up. It's great when you play hard with your teammates, play well together and come away with a win."
Kevin Messenger Media Relations Director Indiana Fever and Bankers Life Fieldhouse Events 125 S. Pennsylvania Street Indianapolis, Ind. 46204
(317) 917-2844 (office/vm) | (317) 370-3437 (cell) kmessenger@pacers.com | twitter.com/kmess65
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Indiana Fever at Phoenix
Regular Season Game #19, Road Game #11
Friday, July 8, 2016
RECORD HIGH
POINTS HIGH REBOUNDS HIGH ASSISTS 1Q 2Q 3Q 4Q OT FINAL
Indiana 8-11 Larkins/
January 13 Larkins 10 January/
Mitchell/
Johnson 3 12 16 30 20 -- 78
Phoenix 8-12 Taurasi/
Bone 13 Bone 5 Harding 3 19 10 10 21 -- 60
Game Recap Box Score @IndianaFever on Twitter
KEY STAT:
- Indiana scored 28 points in the first half, but erupted for 30 in the third quarter, helping produce the Fever's largest victory margin (18) of the season.
- For the game, Indiana pounded the ball to the rim, amassing 50 points in the paint, to just 28 for Phoenix.
- Indiana forced 27 Mercury turnovers, matching the second-best figure ever by a Fever defense and the highest of any team in the WNBA this season. The Fever had a season-high 18 steals and scored 36 points off Mercury turnovers.
- Indiana produced a solid assist-to-steals ratio with 18 assists on 32 baskets, to go with its 18 steals.
KEY RUN:
- Indiana outscored Phoenix 30-10 in the third quarter, sparked by seven points from Briann January and six apiece from Lynetta Kizer and Erica Wheeler. The third-quarter outburst represented the largest one-quarter margin of the Fever season.
INDIANA NOTES:
- Indiana placed four players in double figures, led by Larkins and January with 13, while Lynetta Kizer and Tiffany Mitchell each scored 10. Tamika Catchings and Erica Wheeler finished with 9.
- Erlana Larkins shot 6-of-8 from the floor, following a 6-of-7 effort at Los Angeles two nights earlier. She has shot 12-of-15 in two West Coast games this week. Larkins contributed her fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
- Playing her final regular season game ever in Phoenix, 36-year old Tamika Catchings finished with nine points and six rebounds. The Fever scoring leader had scored in double figures in eight straight games.
- In a return to her college hometown where she attended Arizona State, Briann January contributed 13 points, three assists and a career-high six steals.
- Trailing 29-28 at halftime, Indiana erupted for 30 points in the third quarter against Phoenix - slightly reminiscent of a WNBA-record 39-point fourth quarter in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The near-comeback in L.A. saw Indiana tie the league record for the most fourth-quarter points scored, only the sixth team in WNBA history to score at least 39 points in any quarter.
- Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak while beating the Mercury for the fourth straight time, sweeping the series last year and winning the first two meetings in 2016. Phoenix lost for the third time in four games.
INDIANA QUOTES:
Head Coach Stephanie White: "The biggest difference for us was, in the second half we turned our defense into our offense. We finished strong to end the first half and we maintained the intensity, and then things just snow-balled. We know that when we play good defense, we can turn that into scoring. I think it was a collective effort. We collapsed and made things difficult for [Brittney] Griner and we tried to make everything difficult for Phoenix on the offensive end."
Briann January: "We played well to end the second quarter and we came out really aggressive in the third. We kept it rolling. We knew we needed to keep on them. We had some great activity on defensive. We had great energy and we increased the intensity. We got some turnovers to create some easy shots and we just kept it rolling."
January on emotional game: "I try to play with pride. As a team, we want to play for each other, and I want to lift and motivate my team. [Phoenix] was getting a little chippy close to halftime, so I wanted to step things up. It's great when you play hard with your teammates, play well together and come away with a win."
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from July 8, 2016
- WNBA RECAP: Indiana 78, Phoenix 60 - Indiana Fever
- WNBA RECAP: Indiana 78, Phoenix 60 - Indiana Fever
- Postgame Notes: Chicago Sky 85, New York Liberty 88 - Chicago Sky
- ATLANTA DREAM POSTGAME - Atlanta Dream 95, Dallas 90 (Overtime) - Atlanta Dream
- Mercury Re-Signs Olympian Marta Xargay - Phoenix Mercury
- Mystics News-July 8, 2016 - Washington Mystics
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