The Indiana playoff express rolls into Dallas after a noteworthy wins over Chicago and Connecticut, and Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and company will be looking to inch over the .500 mark here as they battle the Phoenix Mercury to secure the sixth seed in the upcoming WNBA playoffs. With both teams currently at 16-16, it's a tight battle that could go down to the wire.
Dallas, meanwhile, is mostly riding out the season after a tough year, but they have been making some noise lately. They come into this one with a three-game winning streak that includes back-to-back wins against the Aces and the Lynx, so if the Fever do have a letdown game in Dallas, the Wings are more than capable of taking advantage.
Game Details
Fixture: Indiana Fever vs. Dallas Wings
Date and Time: September 1, 2024 @ 4 PM EST
Location: College Park Center, Dallas TX
Indiana Fever Team Review
On the surface, it's been all about record-setting rookie Caitlin Clark as the Fever make a late-season charge to advance secure a playoff berth and move up in the standings.
But that viewpoint is deceptive. Clark may have scored 31 against the Sky, but Kelsey Mitchell has been rocket fuel lately for the supercharged Indiana offense. She's upped her game to become a scoring threat, and the fact that Mitchell can go off for 25+ on a given night has made Clark even more dangerous on offense.
The Fever have two big potential problems--sketchy defense, and Clark's turnover tendencies. She may have become an accomplished scorer at this point, but that doesn't mean she's anywhere nears as good when it comes to taking care of the ball. Connecticut turned her over seven times in Wednesday's game, so that's something to watch if the Fever struggle here.
The defense is a different problem. It's fine when the Fever are firing on all cylinders offensively, but it also allows opponents to make runs on Indiana when the Fever rack up a lead. It's not necessarily an alarming trend, but it is something that needs to be cleaned up for the playoffs.
Dallas Wings Team Review
At 9-22, it's been a rough year for the Wings, but they've been flexing a little lately. Arike Ogunbowale scored 25 points against the Lynx in a 94-76 win, and before that they beat the Aces by three despite A'ja Wilson putting up 43. If the Fever don't take Dallas seriously, they could easily find themselves on the short end of the score here.
A three-game winning streak may not be much, but it's given Dallas something to play for--a possible playoff berth. It's the longest of long shots given how few games they have left, but suddenly the Wings find themselves a game behind the Dream and two behind Chicago, which is tenuously holding down the eighth spot.
With nine games left and the Fever standing in their way, that definitely represents an opportunity of sorts. If the can somehow get past Indiana, the Wings then play the Mystics, the Dream and the Sky, so they'll have a theoretical chance to determine their own destiny.
Who to Watch
Indiana Fever
All eyes will be on Clark to see how she does after her 31-point effort against the Sky, but once again, don't ignore Mitchell. The Fever are simply a different team when she's shooting well, and lately that's been happening all the time.
Dallas Wings
If you haven't watched the Wings much, the player to focus on is Ogunbowale. She's a dynamic player who's been hot lately, posting totals of 33, 20 and 25 during the recent winning streak, respectively. Given Indiana's defensive issues, she could easily go off here.