The Storm are on their way to face the ailing Fever in Indy. With injuries sweeping through Indiana, the door is open for the Storm to continue their late-season bounce back. After a rough August, they’re finishing strong and stabilizing as they head into this final stretch. However, with the Fever still looking feisty, this won’t be an easy game for the Storm.
Katie Lou Samuelson Out
Chloe Bibby Out
Caitlin Clark Out
Sophie Cunnuingham Out
Sydney Colson Out
Aari McDonald Out
The Storm haven't had an easy time finding wins this August. They struggled throughout the season as fatigue affects this older team. They even went out and snagged Brittney Sykes from DC to add some depth to their backcourt. Still, until the last five games, this team hasn’t been much to watch. However, things have turned around for the team as they’ve won four of their last five. It’s been a nice comeback after they went on a six-game losing streak and completely lost ground in the standings. At times this year, this team looked like they could even be contenders, but now, qualifying for the playoffs seems to be the goal. Skylar Diggins has been the biggest change for this team. Compared to where she was a few months ago, she is a shell of herself. She’s come back slightly, but things still don’t look 100% with her. Without her, this team just doesn’t have the scoring to compete at the highest levels. Even with Ogwumike still going strong and Malonga working the post, this team's ceiling is diminished.
For the Fever, injuries—that's all you need to know. Every time it looks like this group is getting something going, they lose another player. They lost Cunningham a week ago to a knee injury, Clark has been sidelined for over a month, Bibby is now out for some time, and even McDonald has been sidelined. Still, this team doesn't lack solid players. Between Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howar, and Lexie Hull, this group can still do some damage. Especially Mitchell, who has been balling out recently to keep the remnants of this team afloat. Still, it’s been a losing battle with the Fever going 4-6 over their last ten. There just isn’t much they can do about it at this point. However, they’re still not out of the playoff mix either, as they sit at 19-18 on the season.
This matchup is a bit tricky. It’s hard to predict what you'll get from Diggins, which significantly impacts the Storm's success. With Mitchell playing exceptionally well on the other side, it will be a tough game to call. However, considering the home-court advantage, two victories over the Storm, and their desperation, I believe the Fever will win. So, I’m betting on the Fever moneyline, the under on the 168.5 points total, and Indiana with a +4 spread.
Money line: SEA (-185) / IND (+154)
Total Points: 168.5
Spread: -4 SEA (-115) / +4 IND (-105)
Mitchell has taken over significantly lately. Her scoring rates have skyrocketed after a disastrous series of injuries left the Fever thin. In her last ten games, she’s had seven games over 22 points. What’s easy to count on here are her shot attempts. She’s been averaging nearly 20 attempts a game, which, even shooting 40% from the field and getting a few free throw attempts—she’s also getting plenty of those—easily puts Mitchell in the 22-point range.
Diggins continues to be volatile lately. She’s struggled to find much of a rhythm as the season enters the final stretch. Fatigue seems to be a major factor here, as she just doesn’t have the burst she had earlier in the year. Without that, her scoring has become much more reliant on her jump shooting, which is hit or miss. However, over the last couple of weeks, she’s been hitting the under much more consistently. She’ll have a 20-point game here or there, but sticking with the under feels like the value play tonight.
We’re taking the alt line here because I really believe in Boston’s rebounding ability. In her last game against the Storm, she finished with 12 rebounds, and since then, she’s had over 9 boards in about half her games. Averaging 8.2 boards per game, this line is within range for her, and adding some nice plus odds makes it feel like a solid risk.