Game preview: Fever wants to extend its winning streak to six against Lynx on Friday

Indiana Fever vs Minnesota Lynx
Friday, September 6
Gainbridge Fieldhouse | 7:30 p.m. ET
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Broadcast information
ION

Possible starters

Indiana Fever (18-16)

Guard – Kelsey Mitchell (19.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists)
Defender – Caitlin Clark (18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.4 assists)
Defender – Lexie Hull (5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists)
Center – Aliyah Boston (13.7 points per game, 9.1 rebounds per game, 3.1 assists per game)
Forward – NaLyssa Smith (11.1 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, 1.1 assists per game)

Minnesota Lynx (24-9)

Guard – Kayla McBride (15.9 points per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, 3.3 assists per game)
Guard – Courtney Williams (11.0 points per game, 4.7 rebounds per game, 5.4 assists per game)
Center – Alanna Smith (10.5 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, 3.2 assists per game)
Forward – Napheesa Collier (20.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists)
Forward – Bridget Carleton (9.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists)

Game status report

Indiana: Temi Fagbenle – QUESTIONED (Right Shoulder)

Minnesota: No injuries

GAME PREVIEW:

The Indiana Fever will play the second game of a six-game home series on Friday night as they build on a five-game winning streak against the Minnesota Lynx. Indiana and Minnesota have split the regular season series, with Indiana losing the last meeting on Aug. 24 at Target Center, 90-80. Indiana’s first game of the season against Minnesota was on July 14, and ended in an 81-74 win at Target Center. In both meetings, Fever players center Aliyah Boston, guards Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, and forward NaLyssa Smith each scored in double figures.

Friday night could be a potential first-round playoff game this year, as Minnesota is currently ranked No. 3 and Indiana is ranked No. 6. The Fever continued their momentum with a 93-86 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night, winning the regular season series against Los Angeles 2-1. Clark, who was named the WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month and Week and was also honored as Rookie of the Month for August on Wednesday, becomes just the sixth player in WNBA history to record multiple triple-doubles, finishing Wednesday’s game with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. With the win, Clark also became the first player in WNBA history to record at least 200 assists and 100 made 3-point field goals in a single season. By Friday, Clark needs just one more made 3-point field goal to overtake Mitchell, who has the most made 3-point field goals in a single season in franchise history, and she is just 14 assists away from reaching 300 assists total this season. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Clark is also on pace to set a WNBA record for most points scored and assists per game in league history, averaging 37.6 points per game.

Similar to Indiana, Minnesota was the only other team in the league to lose just one game in August, a 94-76 loss to the Dallas Wings on Aug. 30. Mitchell and Clark were the second and third leading scorers in the WNBA in August, with Lynx forward Napheesa Collier following in sixth place, averaging 22.4 points per game last month. Minnesota last played against the Chicago Sky on Sunday, winning 79-74 at Target Center. Lynx guard Courtney Williams led Minnesota to the win with a 22-point, six-assist performance, and Collier added 15 points.

In the league’s scoring standings, Clark, Mitchell and Collier are all in the top 10, each averaging over 18 points per game. Boston and Collier are also in the top 10 in rebounding, both averaging at least 9.1 rebounds per game. Clark remains the league leader with 8.4 assists per game, while Williams ranks sixth with an average of 5.4 assists per game. Indiana and Minnesota are close in several league categories. In blocks, Indiana ranks fourth with an average of 4.6 blocked shots per game, while Minnesota is one spot behind with an average of 4.3 per game. The Fever are second in field goal percentage at 45.3%, while the Lynx are fourth at 44.8%. Although Clark leads the league in assists, Minnesota leads the league in assists per game with an average of 23.3, while Indiana ranks fifth with 20.4 assists.