The latest clash between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky may not include Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese.
Clark will miss the game due to her right groin injury while the health of Reese’s back will determine whether she’s on the floor when her Sky squad hosts the Fever on Sunday afternoon.
Reese missed Chicago’s 95-57 loss to the visiting Seattle Storm on Thursday and was listed as questionable by the Sky late Saturday afternoon. It should be noted Reese was listed with the same label prior to sitting out against Seattle.
Reese is averaging 13.8 points and a league-best 12.5 rebounds.
Clark is out for the fourth straight regular-season contest — she also sat out last weekend’s All-Star game — due to her third injury of the season. She missed time with left groin and left quadriceps ailments earlier this season and has missed 13 games overall.
The Fever (13-12) are getting used to playing without Clark.
“If we have Caitlin, great,” Indiana forward Sophie Cunningham said after scoring 15 points in Thursday’s 80-70 home victory over the Las Vegas Aces. “And we know how to play with her. If we don’t have Caitlin, great, we know how to play without her. And I think that’s just so important.”
All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell has thrived by scoring 20 points or more in five of Indiana’s past six games. Mitchell ranks fourth in the WNBA in scoring at 19.6 points per game.
Mitchell scored 21 points against the Aces. Natasha Howard was 6-of-9 shooting and had 18 points and 13 rebounds.
“Our defense got our offense going,” Howard said postgame on Thursday. “That’s how we make games like that. We don’t rely on our offense a lot. We rely on our defense. … When our defense is going, our offense is going.”
Chicago (7-17) has dropped four straight games by an average of 27.8 points. Three of the losses have been by more than 20 points, including an 86-49 loss to the Atlanta Dream and a 91-68 setback against the Minnesota Lynx.
Veteran guard Rachel Banham was critical of the team’s competitive level after the 38-point loss to Seattle.
“It felt gross,” Banham said after scoring 13 points. “It’s probably how you guys look at it. We’re just not consistent. It just feels gross. This is gross basketball, and we know that.”
Sky coach Tyler Marsh surely recognized what Banham observed.
“Right now, the message is to compete,” Marsh said. “… We’re looking for fight, we’re looking for competitors.”
Chicago leading scorer Ariel Atkins (13.9 points per game) will miss her fourth straight game due to a leg injury.
Indiana won the first two meetings with the Sky this season by an average of 31 points.
–Field Level Media
