Fever Fall to Sparks, Ending Five-Game Win Streak

LOS ANGELES — The Indiana Fever’s five-game winning streak came to an end Tuesday night in Los Angeles with a 100-91 loss to the Sparks, a team they’ve struggled to beat this season.

Fever coach Stephanie White said the team had plenty of chances on offense but couldn’t get stops when it mattered most. “You can’t get out on transition when you’re constantly taking the ball out of the net,” she said. Defense was the main issue, and the Sparks took full advantage.

Kelsey Mitchell carried the offense again, scoring 34 points and making several three-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Sparks’ balanced attack. Meanwhile, Indiana’s bench struggled to contribute, managing just two points all game.

Caitlin Clark remains sidelined with a groin injury, missing her eighth straight game. The Fever are now 17-13 on the season and sit fifth in the league standings, just behind the Phoenix Mercury.

With playoff positioning on the line, the Fever will look to bounce back quickly when they face the Mercury again on Thursday in Phoenix. A win there would be a big step toward securing home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The night also featured a strange moment when a sex toy was thrown from the stands onto the court near Fever guard Sophie Cunningham. The incident briefly paused the game, and Cunningham even laughed it off as Kelsey Plum kicked the object back into the crowd.

Natasha Howard added 17 points, and Aliyah Boston finished just shy of another double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds.

Indiana falls to 17-13 and remains fifth in the WNBA standings, now 1.5 games behind the fourth-place Phoenix Mercury. A top-four finish would give the Fever home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Fever’s road trip continues Thursday against the Phoenix Mercury.

Fever Fall to Sparks, Ending Five-Game Win Streak  was originally published on wibc.com