Fever vs Sparks Preview: Top Pick Clarke Aims to Lead Fever to Another Win as Li Yueru Shines for Struggling Sparks

On September 5th, the Indiana Fever will host the Los Angeles Sparks in a regular-season WNBA game.

The Fever, with a current record of 17 wins and 16 losses, are ranked sixth in the league. In their last game, the Fever defeated the Wings 100-93, extending their winning streak to four games. In that match, top pick NaLyssa Smith recorded another impressive double-double with 28 points and 12 assists, while Mitchell contributed 36 points. With the standout performances from these two stars, the Fever’s winning streak continues. This victory marks their sixth win in the past seven games, including a notable win over the strong Sun team.

This season, the Fever started slow but have steadily improved and are now completely out of the shadow of their early-season struggles. Under the leadership of Smith and Mitchell, the Fever’s offensive performance has been excellent, averaging 83.8 points per game, third-best in the league. However, as a young team, they also allow an average of 86.5 points per game, second-worst in the league. On individual player performance, Mitchell averages 19 points per game, Smith averages 18.7 points and 8.4 assists, Boston averages 13.4 points and 9 rebounds, and Smith averages 11.1 points. The growth of this team has been remarkably rapid.

The Sparks, on the other hand, have a record of 7 wins and 25 losses, placing them at the bottom of the league. In their last game, the Sparks lost 62-80 at home to the Dream, failing to secure back-to-back wins. In that game, Li Yueru, coming off the bench, scored the highest for the Sparks with 14 points. Apart from Li Yueru, only Jackson scored in double digits with 13 points, while star player Cambage managed only 5 points. The Sparks have won just one of their last nine games, entering a clear tanking phase towards the end of the season.

This season, the Sparks’ offensive and defensive performances have both been poor. They average 78.8 points per game on offense and concede an average of 86.2 points on defense, both third-worst in the league. In terms of individual players, only three players average double-digit scoring: Cambage with 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds, Jackson with 12.6 points, and Stevens with 10.5 points. Particularly in the latter half of the season, the Sparks’ overall form has worsened, dropping to last place in the league.

In this game, there is a significant disparity in strength between the Fever and the Sparks, and the contrast in their current forms is stark. Additionally, with the Fever playing at home, their chances of winning are significantly higher. This season, the Sparks have only won 2 out of 14 away games, while the Fever have a home record of 9 wins and 5 losses. Moreover, after making it to the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the Fever’s morale is also very high. For Chinese fans, the biggest highlight of this game might be Li Yueru.

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