Bullet point summary by AI
- The Indiana Fever aim to extend their three-game winning streak as they face the Seattle Storm tonight.
- Caitlin Clark is listed as probable due to a league policy but has consistently started most games this season.
- The matchup will test Indiana’s offensive balance against a Storm team that thrives when all starters score in double figures.
The Indiana Fever are looking to continue their hot streak after the WNBA All-Star break. Before the hiatus, they had won three straight and are 7-3 over their last ten matchups. Indy is currently sitting at fifth in the standings, and as we enter the second half of the season, you can imagine they want to stay right up there with the top dogs of the league.
The Fever will close out July with two games in which they’re the favorite to win. But August could get rocky. They will face off against three of the top four teams — the Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces and Dallas Wings — before the middle of the month.
Finishing off this month with two wins, extending their winning streak to five straight, would be ideal for them. It all starts tonight as they’ve travelled to Seattle for a battle with the Storm. Luckily for the Fever, their injury report is fairly clean, with Caitlin Clark being the only starter listed. Bree Hall is listed as probable, and Damiris Dantas is out tonight.
Caitlin Clark is probable for Fever vs. Storm tonight
We won’t make you read too far. You can expect Caitlin Clark to be on the court tonight. You’ve probably noticed that before each Fever game, Clark is always listed as probable. This is because of a warning that Indiana received from the league earlier in the season.
Before the Fever’s matchup with the Portland Fire on May 20, Clark was a very late scratch, listed as out about 100 minutes before tip-off. The league’s warning came after Head Coach Stephanie White made it known that Clark had not practiced the day before, but was left off the injury report. ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported, “Fever coach Stephanie White said before the Fire game that Clark woke up Wednesday with stiffness and soreness in her back and that she did not practice Tuesday, instead getting treatment and going through workouts after practice.”
White also added, “Just to make sure that there’s clarity and no issues with league policy, I think that we will. I think you can expect to see it probable going forward.” Despite always being listed as probable, Clark has consistently been in the starting lineup — you can say a lot of things, but I guess you can’t say the Fever aren’t committed to the bit.
Projected Fever starting lineup with Caitlin Clark vs. Storm
|
STARTER |
POSITION |
BENCH |
|---|---|---|
|
Caitlin Clark |
PG |
Raven Johnson |
|
Kelsey Mitchell |
SG |
Tyasha Harris |
|
Lexie Hull |
SF |
Sophie Cunningham |
|
Monique Billings |
PF |
Myisha Hines-Allen |
|
Aliyah Boston |
C |
Myisha Hines-Allen |
The Fever and the Storm faced off about a week before the All-Star break. The night ended in a 110-107 dub for Indy — but, if we’re being honest, Seattle should be coming into the game tonight feeling confident in their abilities. I think that young squad knows it’s possible to beat this Fever squad, but it comes down to a few things.
They also faced off back in May — also resulting in an 11-point Fever win. Aliyah Boston didn’t play in either of these games due to injury. She averages 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Having her on the court will definitely be a big plus for Indiana.
The Storm play their best basketball and have the most success when each member of their starting five puts up 10+ points. In their most recent matchup against the Fever, all the starters put up at least 15 points, with Dominique Malonga putting up 26 points and 14 rebounds. Indiana, on the other hand, is more likely to need a couple of players to put up bigger numbers — things are less spread out, at least they were against the Storm. Clark put up a career-high 45 points, Kelsey Mitchell recorded 30, and Monique Billings had 16. No other player hit the 10-point mark.
It will be difficult with Aliyah Boston back in the lineup, but if Seattle can still dominate the paint tonight, they’ll have a good chance of keeping this game competitive. It will be another all-hands-on-deck night for this young squad. For the Fever, they will likely rely on their dynamic guards. They can’t let Clark or Mitchell get shut down completely without some help from the bench, or things could get interesting.
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