Kelsey Mitchell was the top scorer with 29 points in a closely contested game where the Indiana Fever secured a 101-95 victory over the Toronto Tempo on Tuesday. Indiana, with a record of 25-13, clinched their fifth consecutive win, with standout player Caitlin Clark contributing 24 points and seven assists. A notable presence of fans at Scotiabank Arena sported Clark jerseys to show their support.
Making a comeback after a two-month absence due to injury, Brittney Sykes put up 15 points, five assists, and two rebounds for the Tempo, who now stand at 10-24. Despite a strong performance from all-star Marina Mabrey, who scored 22 points, Toronto suffered their eleventh consecutive loss. Aneesah Morrow, coming off the bench, achieved a notable double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds, setting a new franchise record.
Sykes had been sidelined with a left plantar fascia injury sustained during a game in June against the Fever, resulting in a ten-game losing streak for Toronto in her absence. Despite their earlier playoff contention, the Tempo now hold the third-worst record in the WNBA, ahead of the Connecticut Sun and Seattle Storm, both of which have been eliminated from post-season contention.
In terms of performance, the Fever, known for their high scoring, lived up to their reputation with 96.2 points per game heading into this match. They excelled in three-point shooting, making 11 of 25 attempts and scoring 50 points in the paint. On the other hand, the Tempo, although trailing throughout and falling behind by as much as 17 points, showed promise in certain areas. They accumulated 22 second-chance points, outrebounded the Fever 41-32, and their bench contributed 38 points compared to Indiana’s 20.
In a critical moment, Mabrey made a crucial three-pointer as Toronto trailed by four points, but the shot was invalidated by referees for palming. A significant statistic for the Tempo was their shooting struggles, making 34 of 87 field-goal attempts (39.1%) and 12 of 37 from beyond the arc (32.4%).
Looking ahead, the Fever will face the Dallas Wings on Thursday, while the Tempo will take on the Washington Mystics on Wednesday.