INDIANAPOLIS — The home team at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse couldn’t stop the Connecticut Sun from draining three-point shots Sunday as the Fever lost the game 76-63.
Throughout the game, Indiana struggled with its shots going in the basket. At one point in the fourth quarter, center Teaira McCowan (3 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist) missed a shot at the post, got her own rebound then missed her second shot, letting the Sun get off another 3. Making only 37.1% of their shots, the Fever couldn’t keep up.
Connecticut went 10-22 from distance, Shekinna Stricklen had four of her own. Indiana shot 16 3s and made 0, a franchise record low.
Candice Dupree ( 11 points, rebounds, 4 assists) gave her take on the Sun’s 20-4 run in the third quarter. “Way too many threes … they picked us apart with the middle pick and roll in the first half, I thought we did a better job of it in the second half, but we have to recognize when we need to help and when we don’t.”
Betnijah Laney is becoming a key part in the Fever’s lineup with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals, a career high. Laney struggled at the glass, but found success with her mid-range shot.
Dupree moved into 6th place in WNBA scoring, with 6,267 points. Fever head coach Pokey Chatman said “I feel like every three or four games she’s doing something. It speaks to Candice’s career, to be able to do it at a level where she is the primary focus on a younger team – it’s in all facets of the game. I’m excited for her.”
Stricklen and Jonquel Jones turned up in the third quarter, scoring 22 of 23 points. Jones led the game with 26 points, shooting 57.9%.
When Indiana would slow down the play and not turnover the ball, they were capable of going on runs against the Sun. Natalie Achonwa fought for and earned a few foul shots to keep the ball away from Jones, keeping the Fever competitive.
“We were hammering our players on transition defense, and we didn’t get it done,” Chatman said. “Every team in this league is too good to get that type of lead and then play catch up.”
