The Indiana Fever is back in the win column.
The Fever ended its two-game losing skid with a 80-70 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to move past Las Vegas and claim sixth place in the standings. The Fever did so without All-Star guard Caitlin Clark, who missed her third consecutive game with a right groin injury. The Fever lead the regular-season series, 2-1, and have defeated the Aces in back-to-back games for first time since 2015.
The Fever trailed by six points at halftime, but Indiana outscored Las Vegas, 45-29, in the second half. The Aces came within five points of the Fever with 1:33 remaining in the game, but Aari McDonald slammed the door shut with a 3-pointer to take an eight-point lead with 34.2 seconds left. The Fever credited their second half turnaround to a mid-game pep talk from head coach Stephanie White.
‘Coach told us at halftime that we were playing too soft. We let Las Vegas get whatever they wanted in the second quarter,’ said Natasha Howard, who finished with an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double. ‘When (White) told us that… we all locked in coming out in the second half.’
Kelsey Mitchell led the way with a game-high 21 points and four assists, while Aliyah Boston added a double-double with 13 points and 10 points. Four Fever starters finished with double-digit points. More importantly, Indiana’s defense held Las Vegas to only two 3-pointers the entire game, making a season low for the Aces.
USA TODAY Sports provided updates and highlights from the Aces-Fever game:
Fever vs. Aces highlights
End of Q3: Fever 62, Aces 56
Indiana outscored Las Vegas 27-15 in the third quarter to take a six-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Natasha Howard came alive in the third quarter, scoring 11 of her game-high 18 points in the period. She already has her sixth double-double of the season with 12 rebounds, including five offensive boards. Sophie Cunningham has added 13 points.
A’ja Wilson has a team-high 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals for Vegas. Jackie Young has added 15 points and two assists. However, the Aces haven’t been able to get going from long range. They are shooting 18.2% (2-of-11) from 3, compared to the Fever shooting a whopping 45% from 3 (9-of-20).
Halftime: Aces 41, Fever 35
Las Vegas has a 41-35 lead heading into halftime in a back-and-forth game so far. The Aces opened the second quarter against the Fever on a 8-0 run, which marked an 18-2 run going back to the first quarter. The Fever responded with an 8-0 run of their own, which was met by a 12-2 run by the Aces to close out the half.
Jackie Young led the way with a game-high 13 points. A’ja Wilson added 12 points and three rebounds. The Aces are shooting 44.1% from the field, but are struggling from beyond the arc (2-of-8).
The three ball, however, is keeping the Fever in striking distance. Indiana is 5-of-12 from three and is shooting 39.4% from the field, but the Fever must take better care of the ball (11 turnovers) and keep the Aces off the free throw line. The Fever had four free throw attempts in the first half, compared to 12 for the Aces.
Indiana’s apparent frustration with officiating boiled over in the second quarter when head coach Stephanie White was called for a technical foul with 5:53 remaining after Kelsey Mitchell fought through apparent contact on a layup attempt.
Natasha Howard, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham each have seven points.
End of Q1: Fever 18, Aces 18
It’s a low-scoring affair between the Fever and Aces so far. The Fever led by as many as eight points in the first quarter, before the Aces closed the deficit and tied up the game, 18-18.
Jackie Young has a game-high six points for the Aces, followed by four points by A’ja Wilson.
The Fever have been frustrated early on by the whistle. The Aces had 11 free throw attempts in the first quarter, compared to two for the Fever. Aliyah Boston, who has four points, and Sophie Cunningham, who has five points, are both in foul trouble early with two fouls. Kelsey Mitchell added two points.
What time is Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever?
The Indiana Fever will host the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Fans can watch the action on Prime Video.
How to watch Las Vegas Aces vs. Indiana Fever: TV, stream
- Time: 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT)
- Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
- Streaming: Prime Video
- Local TV: WTHR Channel 13 (Indianapolis), Vegas 34 (Las Vegas).
The game will also be available to view on demand on WNBA League Pass after it concludes.
Stream Aces vs. Fever on Prime
Is Caitlin Clark playing today? Injury status vs. Aces
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces. Clark will miss her third consecutive game due to a right groin injury suffered in the Fever’s win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15.
Thursday will mark the 12th regular-season game Clark has missed this season due to injury. There’s no timetable for her return.
Fever relaunch ‘Stranger Things’ special edition jersey
The Indiana Fever are donning alternate uniforms inspired by the Netflix series ‘Stranger Things.’
‘Stranger Things’ – which is set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana – will stream its final season on Netflix in three parts starting on Nov. 26. The jersey will also feature Demogorgon claw accents, and ‘011’ on the waistband, referencing the character, Eleven, portrayed by actress Millie Bobby Brown.
The Fever first wore the jersey with the ‘Stranger Things’ font in 2021 and has plans on wearing the jersey in home games on July 30 vs. the Phoenix Mercury, Aug. 9 vs. the Chicago Sky, Aug. 12 vs. the Dallas Wings, Aug. 26 vs. the Seattle Storm, and Sept. 9 against the Minnesota Lynx. — Scooby Axson
Indiana Fever starting lineup
Las Vegas Aces starting lineup
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.