CHICAGO, IL — The Indiana Fever delivered a commanding performance Saturday night, rolling past the Chicago Sky 79-52 in a game that marked the first WNBA contest ever played at the United Center.
Kelsey Mitchell led all scorers with 17 points, while Natasha Howard chipped in 13 as the Fever (4-4) notched their second straight win. The team has gone 2-2 in games without rookie star Caitlin Clark, who remains sidelined with an injury.
Indiana seized control early and never looked back. A sharp 10-1 run in the first quarter—sparked by Mitchell’s layup and back-to-back three-pointers from Aari McDonald—gave the Fever a 17-7 lead with just over four minutes remaining in the opening frame. They ended the first quarter ahead 21-13 and extended the gap to 41-28 by halftime.
The Fever came out strong again in the third, outscoring Chicago 27-11 to carry a dominant 68-39 lead into the final period. Indiana’s advantage ballooned to as many as 30 points early in the fourth.
Indiana finished the night shooting 46% from the floor and tied a season high with 11 made three-pointers (11-27, 40%). They also dished out 20 assists on their 27 total field goals.
McDonald added 12 points and three steals for Indiana, while Aliyah Boston contributed 11 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Four Fever players scored in double figures, while no Chicago player reached that mark.
For the Sky (2-5), Angel Reese grabbed 12 rebounds but struggled offensively, scoring just four points on 2-of-7 shooting. Kamilla Cardoso and Rebecca Allen led Chicago with eight points each.
The Sky shot just 32.1% (18-of-56) from the field and went cold from beyond the arc, making only 3-of-15 attempts (20%). Turnovers were also costly, as Chicago gave the ball away 19 times.
The night also saw an unfortunate setback for Chicago, as veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot exited the game midway through the first quarter with a knee injury and did not return.
Fever head coach Stephanie White was absent for personal reasons, with assistant Austin Kelly stepping in as acting head coach.
Up Next:
The Sky travel to face the New York Liberty, while the Fever head south to take on the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday.
