Kelsey Mitchell was the top scorer, contributing 29 points to help the Indiana Fever secure a 101-95 victory against the Toronto Tempo in a game on Tuesday. The standout Caitlin Clark also had an impressive performance with 24 points and seven assists, leading Indiana to its fifth consecutive win. Notably, many fans at Scotiabank Arena sported Clark jerseys to support the team.
Following a two-month absence due to injury, Brittney Sykes returned to the Tempo lineup and tallied 15 points, five assists, and two rebounds. On the other side, all-star Marina Mabrey scored 22 points for Toronto, but it wasn’t enough as the team suffered its 11th consecutive loss. Aneesah Morrow, a reserve player, achieved a double-double with 14 points and a franchise-record 16 rebounds.
Sykes had been sidelined with a left plantar fascia injury sustained during a previous match against the Fever, leading to a challenging period for Toronto, losing ten straight games without her presence. The Tempo, once in contention for a playoff spot, now hold the third-worst record in the WNBA, surpassing only the Connecticut Sun and Seattle Storm, who are already out of playoff contention.
In terms of game performance, Indiana showcased their offensive prowess, living up to their reputation as the highest-scoring team in the league with an average of 96.2 points per game. They excelled in scoring from beyond the arc, converting 11 out of 25 three-point attempts (44%) and accumulating 50 points in the paint. Despite Toronto trailing throughout and facing a deficit of up to 17 points, they displayed some positive indicators, including 22 second-chance points, outrebounding Indiana 41-32, and their bench contributing 38 points compared to Indiana’s 20.
A crucial moment in the game occurred when Mabrey made a potentially game-changing three-pointer in the final seconds, but the shot was invalidated by the referees for a palming violation. The Tempo struggled offensively, making only 34 out of 87 field-goal attempts (39.1%), including 12 of 37 three-point shots (32.4%).
Looking ahead, the Fever will face the Dallas Wings on Thursday, while the Tempo are set to play the Washington Mystics on Wednesday.