There were multiple records set in the opening game of the Indian Fever at the Gainbridge Arena. Caitlin Clark recorded her third triple-double while DeWanna Bonner entered the top three of the All-time scoring list in the regular season. It was also the biggest marginal win for the side as they thrashed the Chicago Sky by 35 points. The Indiana Fever team will be ready to host another conference rival Atlanta Dream.
The Dream lost a close game against the Washington Mystics on the opening night. Star player, Brittney Griner, had a successful Atlanta debut with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Alyssa Grey led the scorers with 25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. They will look to bounce back from the loss, but going against an in-form Fever side, it will be a difficult task. First, let us go through the injuries and starting line-ups of the Indiana Fever and the Atlanta Dream to predict team performances.
Injuries & starting lineups
Indiana Fever Injury Report:
Sophie Cunningham: Day-to-Day
Atlanta Dream Report:
Jordin Canada: Out for two weeks due to right knee injury.
Now onto the starting five:
Indiana Fever (1-0)
Caitlin Clark
Kelsey Mitchell
DeWanna Bonner
Natasha Howard
Aliyah Boston
Atlanta Dream (0-1)
Te-Hina Paopao
Allisha Gray
Rhyne Howard
Brionna Jones
Brittney Griner
What to expect: Preview & prediction
Sep 25, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) talks to Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0) during the first half during game two of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Coming off a massive opening day win, the Indiana Fever team will be beaming with confidence. They have only one player, Sophie Cunningham, on the injury list, who already missed he opening game of the season. With the rest of the team available for rotation, HC Stephanie White will look for similar performance from her star-studded side. Apart from Caitlin Clark’s 20-10-10 performance, Aliyah Boston (19 points, 13 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Lexi Hull (9 points, 9 rebounds) also impacted the game. Natasha Howard was the key player with 15 points of production against the Sky.
The side is looking to win the title ‘NOW’, and with their recent form, they are one of the favorites to do so. While their offense was slightly better than the last season (from 85 points to 93), their defense certainly improved a lot (from an average of 87.5 points allowed to 58). They limited the Chicago Sky franchise to a 26-point second half (13 points in each quarter), highlighting their toughness at the defensive end.
Ironically, the Atlanta Dream also scored 90 points in their opening game but ended up losing the game, following Washington’s offensive dominance in the second half. Along with Alyssa Grey and Griener, forward Brionna Jones (16 points, 10 rebounds) was a key performer for the side.
Atlanta possesses a strong frontcourt with the additions of Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner to the roster. The side provided potent firepower and defensive stability to their All-Star Grey and Rhyne Howard. Historically, Fever have dominated the fixture against the Dream side and won in the last five matchups. Expect them to extend the winning run to six games, while the Atlanta team side will try to make it a close contest.
The post Indiana Fever vs Atlanta Dream: Injury Report, Starting-5, and More as Caitlin Clark & Co Aims to Go on Winning Run appeared first on EssentiallySports.
