WNBA Highlights | Indiana Fever vs Los Angeles Sparks Full Game (09/04/24) | 2024 Women's Basketball

[Music] [Music] the Indiana Fever for a third time are going from top itapolis for WNBA basketball at one forward 63 from Wake Forest 5 7in and at the under guard all right fever [Music] [Music] fans game time nah busted and aard 6-1 out of Stanford number from downtown Indianapolis the playoff found Indiana the defense of Lexi Hull and the shot making of Kelsey Mitchell spot they've got a half game up and the tiebreaker have been here since the beginning so what's the significance here way ahead of schedule with this team and a lot of it is because of the talent that this is the group of five for the fever that has found a lot of success out of the in the most recent draft and Caitlyn Clark player of the week as she has put forth in May and that look right there was what Christie looked like in May but she didn't look like that after spending seven years in Connecticut fever clinched the playoff birth last night they look to keep the good times rolling here this evening from game Bridgefield house and this fever offense has been sizzling backto Back 100o Games each of their last two wins the fever coming off a late Victory against the Dallas Wings Clark on a step back off the mark on her first look here tonight from Indianapolis this is an LA Sparks team behind the play of dear Hami who leads them in scoring this is a long and athletic team they have size at every position over Indiana except for the point guard spot but they have a quickness Factor there with Odyssey Sims being guarded by Caitlyn Clark last time these two teams matched up it was here in Indianapolis as Hami is denied Inside by Nelissa Smith here in Indianapolis and the Sparks gotten better their second level their helps side defense has improved since the break this is Odyssey Sims on a hardship deal and that's off the mark on her first look seems who spent part of the year in Dallas as well she's played really well here in La played well in Dallas too and that's an over and back on Indiana arguing in case that it was deflected in the beginning of the Season Christy sides and Caitlyn Clark especially was blitzed on most ball screen coverages that's the first Blitz we've seen in a while since the Olympic break she's only been blitzed a handful of times and it's been situational let's see if La stays in it I would since she turned it over here's the impressive rookie rakia Jackson averaging 13 points per game off the mark on her first look here that's knocked out of bounds by Stevens and fever basketball well this is a pace for La that has to be managed you can let Indiana get out on a break and you can't let Kelsey Mitchell get going cuz she has been phenomenal in the last seven gam had a season High 36 in the Indiana win on Sunday that tied the second most points in a game in her career she has seven straight with 20 or more that is a franchise record she's pulling away a big lead in that category as Hami showing off the craftiness inside deer Hami has excellent footwork she's got quickness she can create shots around the rim and she's got range Boston back door pass Mitchell lost the handle underneath and had it deflected and stolen aere Stevens there's that length I'm talking about that La has 66 a a Stevens in the passing Lane here's Aaliyah Boston going to work on Stevens and Boston wins the match up you got to test it one-on-one defensively but Boston is so good when she gets to the midline and she's become even better finishing on the left side of the floor here is Stevens who will launch and off the mark on a three El AG is one of six here in the yearly going and Clark looking for Mitchell ahead that time couldn't connect most teams have to legit defensively Beaver have turned it over three times here in the opening three minutes it was something that Caitlyn Clark pinpointed as an area that needs to be improved too many turnovers EV in that win this time it's Indiana with the defense Lexi Hull going Coast to Coast Lexi Hall's play since she became in the starting lineup has been one of the not talked about enough changes for this team she's certainly athletic on the defensive end she takes on one of the tougher perimeter assignments and she can sh shoot the three and she's been really shooting it well since the break her best numbers overall actually in her career here's Mitchell putting on the moves and Mitchell this has been quite a heater for Kelsey Mitchell the leading score in the Eastern Conference out of the Olympic break Hami goes back to work and the scoop shot rolls it in yeah Kelsey Mitchell is shooting better than 45% from the three-point line and it sets up her ability to drive she is a hard check tuck to keep in front Clark step back hits a three there's always a different energy in the building if Caitlyn gets going [Applause] early here is Hami who will fire from three Off the Mark L's missed their first four from out there and Caitlyn Clark looking to push the pace Clark showing off the moves Clark oh to the rim just couldn't finish she did all the hard stuff and then couldn't finish the easy on the other end it's Ria Jackson the rookie performance in the month of August and continuing here through September now rookie of the month has only been around since 2010 but she's the first player ever to win rookie of the month and player of the month that c cour see of across the timeline of course that doesn't count Candace Parker's rookie season where she was MVP here is Nelissa Smith fire away and Miss on a three ball Sparks offense just 11th in the WNBA as Odyssey Sims gets inside and finishes they are prone to pull off the upset on Lexi hole [Music] [Applause] so an early five points for Odyssey Sims as Kurt Miller has had to deal with a lot of injuries this year Cameron Brink some miscommunication on Indiana's end that's the fourth turnover so you wonder you clinch the playoffs what's Indiana going to Le here the last couple of days the winning streak they clinched the playoffs all the individual Awards the coaching Awards so they're going to be tested here tonight and La has beaten some of the top teams in the WNBA mental toughness right