Latest news with #KelseyMitchell
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fever run out of point guards after Caitlin Clark's backup Sydney Colson exits game with leg injury
The Indiana Fever depth chart had a fully empty position on Friday. In their second game without Caitlin Clark, who is out at least two weeks with a left quad strain, the Fever lost their roster's other point guard Sydney Colson to a leg injury in the first quarter against the Connecticut Sun. Advertisement The injury occurred when Sun guard Jacy Sheldon dove for the ball near Colson's feet, causing the veteran's leg to bend awkwardly. Colson appeared to be in significant pain and left for the locker room. Indiana later ruled her out for the rest of the game with a left leg injury. Colson finished the game with zero points and two assists in nine minutes. With both Colson and Clark out, the Fever turned to Sophie Cunningham and Kelsey Mitchell, both of whom are usually shooting guards, to handle the point. Unfortunately, the point guard bug then hit Cunningham. Those issues are part of some early-season struggles for the Fever, who entered the 2025 season as a clear title contender after adding a host of veterans, Colson and Cunningham among them, to a core led by Clark, Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. Indiana broke the WNBA's longest active playoff drought last season then got Clark some significant veteran help. Advertisement The Fever got off to a 2-2 start, with losses to the New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream, before Clark went down. They won't get their superstar back until at least June 9, with two more games on the schedule before that point.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Fever vs. Sun odds, tips and betting trends - 5/30/2025
Fever vs. Sun odds, tips and betting trends - 5/30/2025 The Connecticut Sun (0-5) will look to snap a five-game losing stretch when visiting the Indiana Fever (2-3) on Friday, May 30, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This game is at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION. In its previous game, Indiana lost on the road to Washington 83-77, with DeWanna Bonner (21 PTS, 2 STL, 50.0 FG%, 2-4 from 3PT) and Kelsey Mitchell (14 PTS, 25.0 FG%, 2-7 from 3PT) leading the way. In its most recent game, Connecticut fell at home to Dallas 109-87, with Tina Charles (27 PTS, 64.3 FG%, 2-3 from 3PT) and Marina Mabrey (19 PTS, 50.0 FG%, 4-9 from 3PT) the standout performers. Here is what you need to prepare for Friday's action. Watch this game on Fubo! (regional restrictions may apply) Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun odds and betting lines WNBA odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Thursday at 6:05 p.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Spread: Fever (-11.5) Fever (-11.5) Over/under: 162.5 162.5 Favorite: Fever (-752, bet $752 to win $100) Fever (-752, bet $752 to win $100) Underdog: Sun (+500, bet $100 to win $500) Fever moneyline insights The Fever have won two of the four games they were favored on the moneyline this season (50%). Indiana has not played a game this season with moneyline odds of -752 or shorter. Based on this contest's moneyline, the Fever have an implied win probability of 88.3%. In two games this season, Indiana and its opponents have combined to score more than 162.5 points. The average point total in Fever matchups this year is 170.5, 8.0 more points than this game's over/under. Sun moneyline insights The Sun have been listed as the underdog five times this season and have failed to win any of those games. This season, Connecticut has been at least a +500 underdog on the moneyline two times, losing each of those contests. Sportsbooks have implied with the moneyline set for this matchup that the Sun have a 16.7% chance to win. The Sun and their opponents have scored more than 162.5 combined points twice this season. The average over/under for Connecticut's contests this season is 161.5, 1.0 fewer point than this game's point total. Fever vs. Sun: Live streaming info & game time Game day: Friday, May 30, 2025 Friday, May 30, 2025 Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET Stadium: Gainbridge Fieldhouse Gainbridge Fieldhouse TV channel: ION ION Live stream: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply) Watch this game on Fubo! (regional restrictions may apply)
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Short-handed Fever looking for more fight vs. 0-5 Sun
The Indiana Fever will look for a better result as they deal with the absence of superstar Caitlin Clark when they host the winless Connecticut Sun on Friday in Indianapolis. With the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year sidelined due to a strained left quad, the Fever (2-3) struggled to find their footing and dropped an 83-77 decision to the Washington Mystics on Wednesday. Indiana's Sophie Cunningham labeled the loss a "gut punch," while fellow guard Kelsey Mitchell continued the fight analogy. "We weren't sharp enough to be a contender for anything (versus Washington)," Mitchell added, per ESPN. "I think getting punched in the mouth early is humbling, because it shows where we need to be." Offseason acquisition DeWanna Bonner scored a team-high 21 points for the Fever. The six-time All-Star signed a one-year contract with Indiana after spending the previous five seasons with Connecticut. Sydney Colson scored four points in 31 minutes while starting in place of Clark, who missed a regular-season game for the first time in either her professional or collegiate career. Clark is expected to be out for at least two weeks after sustaining the injury in Indiana's 90-88 setback to the New York Liberty on Saturday. The Sun won't feel sorry for the Fever. Connecticut fell to 0-5 for the first time since the 2020 season after dropping a 109-87 decision to former UConn star Paige Bueckers and the previously winless Dallas Wings on Tuesday. "Until we understand what we're capable of doing and not capable of doing, we will play like that," Sun coach Rachid Meziane said, according to the Hartford Courant. "I've said many times that we have to play as a team, and playing as a team is both sides offensively and defensively. ... At the end of the day, we didn't put our heart on the court. We didn't make the effort to just have a chance to compete." Former WNBA MVP Tina Charles scored a season-high 27 points and Marina Mabrey added 19 in the loss against Dallas. Mabrey is questionable for Friday's game due to an ailing right quad. --Field Level Media
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Without Caitlin Clark, the Fever must avoid spiraling. Here are 3 pieces of advice
The Indiana Fever entered the 2025 season with championship hopes but measured expectations to start, given the significant personnel turnover from 2024. The process of integrating all of those moving parts (six new players and a new coaching staff) was further complicated with Caitlin Clark's injury just four games into the season. Advertisement Even with an abundance of talent — four multi-time All-Stars — still active for the Fever, Wednesday's 83-77 loss to the Washington Mystics raises questions about Indiana's ability to stay afloat during Clark's absence. The Fever announced Monday that Clark will miss a minimum of two weeks with a left quad injury, a stretch that includes games against the Connecticut Sun and rematches against the Mystics and Chicago Sky. The Sun and Sky are still winless, but the Mystics rematch should be challenging. And if Clark's injury lingers, Atlanta and New York await the Fever without her. 'No matter who we play, I think getting punched in the mouth early is kind of humbling, because it shows where you need to be,' Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said after Wednesday's loss. Despite the benefit of Clark's injury occurring so early in the season, the Fever (2-3) need to improve without their MVP candidate in the lineup before they lose too much ground. Here are three areas where they can concentrate: Clark and Boston formed the WNBA's most dynamic pick-and-roll duo last season. Clark assisted Boston more than any other pair connected in the league (105 dimes), which doesn't account for all of the offense Boston generated out of the short roll when Clark was trapped by the defense beyond the 3-point line. Boston has become adept at reading defenses from the middle of the floor and generating shots for teammates with additional screens and handoffs. That's why it was confusing to see how limited Boston's touches were against Washington. The Fever didn't get her the ball in the half court enough as a facilitator, but they also didn't use her enough as a screener, despite her effectiveness. On the first half-court possession of the game, Boston ran a handoff with Sydney Colson on the wing, springing her for a clean jumper at the free-throw line. She didn't touch the ball the next four possessions. Advertisement When Boston got the ball on the perimeter midway through the first quarter, she threw a dart to a cutting Colson on the baseline, who then found Lexie Hull in the corner for a 3-pointer. Boston had another difficult cross-court pass from the post to Colson in the opposite corner, and Indiana eventually scored on an offensive rebound. Boston finished 4 of 5 from the field and tied with a team-high four assists, but the Fever needed more from her. 'Certainly she gets so many of her touches in the two-man game with Caitlin on the floor, and it looks different now,' coach Stephanie White said. '(It's) a point of contention to get her touches on the block as much as in the two-man.' Aliyah Boston attacks for two 💪 — Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 29, 2025 'They played really good defense on her, but that doesn't mean she can't come set screens,' Fever guard Sophie Cunningham added. 'It doesn't mean we can't find her on the opposite side, swinging the ball.' The Mystics also made Boston work defensively, especially against Shakira Austin in isolation. Boston's five fouls weren't the reason she was uninvolved, but opponents will continue to try to get her in foul trouble to disrupt Indiana's offense. In their last three games (excluding the opening day blowout against Chicago), the Fever conceded 86 points per game. That trend continued with 83 against Washington, despite the Mystics coming in with the league's fourth-worst offensive rating. Indiana hoped that replacing Clark with Colson at the point of attack would at least improve the defense even if the offense lagged, but that wasn't the case Wednesday. The Fever suffered multiple defensive breakdowns, with defenders miscommunicating on pick-and-roll coverages, not knowing if they were supposed to be in the gaps or off ball, or failing to box out. Whatever the scheme was, it was impossible to tell if it would have worked against Washington, because Indiana wasn't executing. Advertisement Two major sore spots on that end were fouls and transition defense. The Fever committed 26 personal fouls, more than their average of 22, which is third-worst in the WNBA. White noted that they kept bailing the Mystics out of tough shots by hacking them at the end of the play. Indiana also struggled to match up in transition, a problem compounded by its 16 turnovers. White was especially peeved by Lucy Olsen's 3-pointer late in the third quarter when the Fever technically had enough players tracking back, but none closed out to Olsen on the perimeter. Baltimore fans came to see a former Iowa guard to hit threes. Lucy Olsen is giving them what they asked for [image or embed] — Tyler Byrum (@ May 28, 2025 at 7:59 PM Although Washington was credited with only 10 transition points, those fast-break possessions led to offensive rebounds and additional scores, like in the first half, when Sonia Citron missed a 3-pointer, but Stefanie Dolson collected the board and found a trailing Kiki Iriafen for a layup. Indiana can't afford those breakdowns, especially when the Fever managed no fast-break points of their own. Indiana stressed the importance of its depth leading into Wednesday's game. But without a central operating force on offense (especially when Boston wasn't used that way), the Fever's individual creators were mostly inefficient. Mitchell said postgame she couldn't 'hit a rock in the ocean,' but it didn't help that most of her jumpers came in isolation as opposed to off the catch or off screens. Hull, whose cuts often result in layups thanks to Clark's pinpoint passing, had only one shot attempt in the paint. Natasha Howard at least made half of her shots (5 of 10) but turned over the ball five times, mostly while trying to maneuver to the basket. After starting Colson, the Fever experimented with Hull and Cunningham as the primary initiator. Hull was decent at finding looks, especially for Mitchell, but having her on the ball eliminated the movement and chaos she generally creates off it. Cunningham couldn't really stand up to the ball pressure and committed an offensive foul on Jade Melbourne in the second quarter as she tried to clear out space to dribble. Indiana doesn't have any other natural point guards other than Clark. Colson is technically a one but played that position sporadically in her last three seasons in Las Vegas due to their glut of ballhandlers. The Fever chose to keep two extra bigs on their roster (neither Brianna Turner nor Makayla Timpson played before garbage time) instead of another guard, a decision that was odd at the time and has aged poorly. Advertisement That's a structural issue that can't be fixed. For now, Indiana has to win the hustle categories. It was outrebounded and lost points in the paint and in transition against Washington. In the absence of elite offensive creation, the Fever have to outwork opponents, a trait that will benefit them when Clark comes back. (Photo of Kelsey Mitchell: Kenny Giarla / NBAE via Getty Images)
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
How to watch Fever vs. Sun on TV or live stream - 5/30/2025
How to watch Fever vs. Sun on TV or live stream - 5/30/2025 The Connecticut Sun (0-5) will try to stop a five-game losing streak when they visit the Indiana Fever (2-3) at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 30, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game airs on ION. See more information below, including how to watch this game on ION. Watch this game on Fubo! (regional restrictions may apply) How to watch Fever vs. Sun Date: Friday, May 30, 2025 Friday, May 30, 2025 Time: 7:30 p.m. ET 7:30 p.m. ET Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis, Indiana Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse Gainbridge Fieldhouse TV channel: ION ION Live stream: Fubo (regional restrictions may apply) Fever players to watch Aliyah Boston is tops on the Fever at 10.0 rebounds per contest, while also putting up 2.6 assists and 16.8 points. She is fourth in the league in rebounding. Kelsey Mitchell is tops on her team in points per game (17.0), and also averages 1.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists. At the other end, she posts 1.2 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Natasha Howard is putting up 12.8 points, 1.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds per contest. Lexie Hull posts 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 50.0% from the floor and 50.0% from downtown (fifth in WNBA) with 1.2 made 3-pointers per game. DeWanna Bonner is putting up 6.2 points, 1.4 assists and 5.0 rebounds per contest. Sun players to watch Tina Charles is posting team highs in points (17.0 per game) and rebounds (6.6). And she is contributing 1.8 assists, making 44.3% of her shots from the floor. Marina Mabrey is averaging a team-high 3.2 assists per game. And she is contributing 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds, making 32.5% of her shots from the floor and 29.3% from 3-point range, with 2.4 triples per contest (seventh in WNBA). Olivia Nelson-Ododa is posting 10.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, making 52.9% of her shots from the floor. The Sun get 8.4 points, 1.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game from Bria Hartley. Saniya Rivers gets the Sun 8.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. They also posts 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocked shots. Fever vs. Sun stat comparison The Fever record only 2.4 fewer points per game (85.8) than the Sun allow (88.2). The Sun average 7.8 fewer points per game (71.8) than the Fever allow (79.6). The Fever average 38.2 rebounds a contest, 4.6 more rebounds per game than the Sun's average. This season, the Fever have a 45.0% shooting percentage from the field, which is 0.2% lower than the 45.2% of shots the Sun's opponents have made. Watch this game on Fubo! (regional restrictions may apply)
