It hasn’t been a fun season so far for the Indiana Fever.
For 20 minutes Tuesday, the Fever (3-8) looked like they may have turned a corner in the early going of the season. Indiana led the Washington Mystics (7-3) by eight at the end of the first half before being outscored 49-29 in the second half and losing 87-75.
Guard Kelsey Mitchell was a bright spot for Indiana, pouring in 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting.
The good news for the Fever? The worst team in the WNBA, the New York Liberty (1-7), is next on the schedule.
The Liberty have lost seven games since starting the season 1-0, but first-year coach Sandy Brondello still believes in her team.
“We’re a way better team than what we’re showing,” Brondello told the Brooklyn Eagle. “We don’t know how to fight through fatigue when things aren’t going well. We’re going to keep competing.”
Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Michaela Onyenwere, said the team must continue to play hard on the defensive end.
“Sometimes we’re not going to have a good shooting night,” Onyenwere said. “We have to hang our hat on our defense.”
New York turned the ball over 17 times in a 31-point loss to the Seattle Storm on Sunday.
The Fever and Liberty are 11th and 12th in the league in shooting percentage, but something will have to give, as both teams will look to get back into the win column.
Tipoff between Indiana and New York is set for 7 p.m. ET at Barclays Center.
–Field Level Media