The Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever take on the young but hungry Washington Mystics tonight in some W action this Wednesday.
With the absence of Clark, expect veteran wing Sophie Cunningham to play additional minutes and have the green light from downtown in this one, while on the Washington side of things, their two rookies should continue their great stretch of play.
The Mystics' rookie class is firing on all cylinders thus far. Though Washington has dropped their last two against two of the best teams in the Western Conference in Phoenix and Vegas, Iriafen has dominated on the glass and has shown why she can develop into a potential 3-level scorer.
Kiki has dropped double-digit points in each outing while shooting an incredibly efficient 51% from the field and 79% from the charity strike.
With the Fever coming off games allowing 26 points to Jonquel Jones, and 21 points to Brittany Griner, I’m taking Kiki to go for 12 or more points for the third time this season.
No Caitlin Clark, no problem for Indiana? The Fever are down their superstar for the next week or two but have enough offensive firepower to stay in the hunt for the win tonight.
One veteran who should step up from beyond the arc comes in the form of the Australian sniper Sophie Cunningham. The former Mercury sharpshooter dropped 9 points in her Fever debut 5 days ago against Atlanta and followed it up with just 5 points against the Liberty in a game where Clark played 38 out of the 40 minutes.
Expect Sophie to play close to 30 minutes tonight and have the green light from downtown, where she will serve as the best 3-point scorer on this team.
The Mystics' other top pick, Sonia Citron, has been a revelation thus far. Citron is the ideal 3 & D wing with size, speed, IQ, and elite shot-making skills.
The 1st rounder is shooting it 53% from the field, 47% from beyond the arc, and nearly 90% from the free throw line in her first four games in the W.
Hitting this prop in three of her first four outings, I trust Citron to have another great outing, especially against a Fever defense that is still figuring itself out this early in the year.