By Sarah Disbro

The Chicago Sky will look to get their first win over the Indiana Fever this season on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT. Gainbridge Fieldhouse will host the fourth and final meeting between the two teams this year. 

The teams played each other last on Aug. 9 in Indiana, where the Fever won 92-70. Indiana currently sits in the eighth and final playoff spot, but has not clinched an appearance. A win would help them secure their chances. The Sky will look to make the Fever’s road to the post-season more difficult with their 11th win of the season. 

Last time out the Sky struggled to get their offense going as only two players scored in double figures. Rachel Banham led the team with 11 points and three assists, while rookie Maddy Westbeld had a career night of 10 points and six rebounds. 

The Sky have grown in the month of August as their offense has found its rhythm. Chicago is coming off an 88-point win against the Sun where five players scored in double digits. The Sky should look to find their shot early on as they have their best games against the Fever when they establish themselves in the first quarter. 

The paint will be key for Chicago as they only scored 26 points last time against Indiana. Their bigs in Kamilla Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams combined for just 14 points, but both found success in the rebounding battle. Cardoso hauled in 12 rebounds and Williams eight. The Sky might find easy baskets offensively if they can continue their success on the glass. 

For the Fever, they shot 47.1% from the field and 39.3% from three-point range in their home arena. Look for the Sky to try and disrupt Indiana’s offense as the team has been holding teams below their season averages in recent games. 

Kelsey Mitchell once again led Indiana in scoring with 26 points and eight assists. Defensively, it will be important to contain Mitchell, who averages 20.5 points per game and controls most of the Fever’s offense. 

Lexie Hull had 17 points and three assists, while Sophie Cunningham added 16 points. Aliyah Boston added 15 points and was limited on the boards to just four rebounds.

In the last matchup, the Sky were successful in protecting the ball as they only had 11 turnovers. If Chicago is to get the win they will need to continue to limit turnovers, while putting the pressure on Indiana. 

What to watch from the Sky: Their versatility on offense. 

Chicago was able to find success in the last game against Indiana when they had big performances by their bench. The Sky outscored the Fever’s bench 30-17. Kia Nurse has been able to come up big in recent games as she is averaging 10.6 points off the bench, while being a three-point threat. 

Elizabeth Williams is coming off a 10-point outing off the bench as she is able to bolster the paint. Westbeld showed she matched up well against the Fever on both sides of the ball when the teams last played. 

Look for different players from the Sky to score, and the key is getting Nurse involved from three-point range. Chicago has shown that on any given night a player can step up and be a threat on offense.