The Indiana Fever return home Thursday night to host the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00PM ET. Both teams enter the game with 8-8 records and are trying to build some momentum heading into the second half of the season.
Las Vegas won the last meeting between these teams, beating Indiana 89-81 on June 22. The Aces have won nine of the last ten matchups in the series. Indiana is starting a five-game homestand, while Las Vegas is on a five-game road trip. This is the first of two meetings between the teams in July.
The Fever have picked up two straight wins without rookie Caitlin Clark, who is out again with a groin injury. They won at Dallas to reach the Commissioner’s Cup final, then followed that with a 74-59 win over Minnesota to take home the championship. The Aces, meanwhile, edged Phoenix 84-81 last Sunday and have not played since.
Las Vegas has been one of the top teams in recent years, winning titles in 2022 and 2023. This year has been different. The Aces are still looking for consistency, especially on defense and from the bench. Indiana, on the other hand, has started to find its identity even without its most high-profile player on the floor.
Fever Preview – Winning Without Clark
Indiana is learning how to play without Caitlin Clark. She has missed three straight games due to a groin injury. Earlier this season, she also missed time with a quad injury. In total, the Fever are 4-4 in games without her.
The team is getting strong play from its frontcourt. Aliyah Boston had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Minnesota, while Natasha Howard added 16 points and 12 boards. Both players helped control the glass, and the Fever defense locked in during the second quarter, holding the Lynx scoreless for over eight minutes.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 12 points in that win, and the bench also played a role. Aari McDonald came off the bench with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting. Grace Berger and Lexie Hull also helped with key minutes. Damiris Dantas remains out for Thursday’s game due to national team duty, but Indiana is getting enough from its depth.
Indiana is 9-8 against the spread this season and 5-4 on the road. At home, the Fever are 4-4 straight up. Their offense ranks 9th in the league at 80.9 points per game, but the team has improved defensively. They’re allowing just 78.8 points, which ranks sixth in the WNBA.
Aces Preview – Trying to Regain Rhythm
The Aces enter the game coming off a close win in Phoenix. A’ja Wilson once again led the way, scoring 26 points with 18 rebounds. She also added 7 assists and 1 block in 35 minutes. Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray helped carry the offense, with Young scoring 15 points and Gray adding 9.
Las Vegas has been playing without Megan Gustafson (leg) and Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (personal). To help fill that void, the Aces made a trade with Dallas to get NaLyssa Smith. Smith is 6-foot-4 and adds some size and rebounding. She is averaging 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds this season.
So far, the Aces have not looked like the dominant team from the past two years. They are 3-4 on the road and 6-10 against the spread. Their offense is averaging 80.9 points, which is tied with Indiana. But they rank just 11th in field goal percentage at 40.8%, and the defense is allowing more second-chance points this year.
Still, the Aces have experience and one of the league’s top players in Wilson. Las Vegas is first in the league in free throw percentage at 84.8% and second in blocks per game. Their top players know how to close games. The team’s biggest issue has been depth and shooting from beyond the arc, where they are top 5 in percentage but not in attempts.
Betting Prediction
Las Vegas is listed as a 4.5-point road favorite, with the total set at 161.5. The Aces have gone 6-3-1 against the spread in the last 10 games vs Indiana. The under has hit in eight of those ten matchups, including the last four in a row.
Indiana has shown they can win without Clark, but Las Vegas is still deeper and has the better top-end talent. With the Aces coming off a long break, they should be rested. Indiana’s defense will keep them close for a while, but Las Vegas is more likely to pull away late. Expect the Aces to win by 6 to 10 points and the total to stay under.
Pick: Las Vegas -4.5
