Friday’s matchup between the Indiana Fever and Los Angeles Sparks has huge playoff implications. As Fever head coach Stephanie White put it, ‘Every game is like a playoff game at this point.’
The injury-riddled Fever (20-18) are currently in sixth place in the WNBA standings with six games remaining in the regular season, while the Sparks (17-19) are in ninth place with eight games remaining. If the regular season ended today, Indiana would advance to the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2015-16, while the Sparks would miss the playoffs yet again. (The Sparks haven’t made the playoffs since 2020.)
There’s still time for the Fever and Sparks to move up (or down) the leaderboard as teams jockey for playoff positioning during the final stretch of the season. The top eight teams advance to the playoffs and only four games separate sixth place from 10th place.
The Fever are 10.5 games behind the league-leading Minnesota Lynx, followed by the Golden State Valkyries (11 games behind Lynx), Seattle Storm (11), Sparks (12.5) and Washington Mystics (14.5). The Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings and Chicago Sky have all been eliminated from playoff contention.
The Fever have dropped six of their last nine games while navigating a series of season-ending injuries amid Caitlin Clark’s extended absence, while the Sparks have lost three of their last five, meaning Friday’s game is all the more important.
‘We can’t get caught watching the standings. We can’t get caught looking too far ahead,’ White said on Tuesday. ‘It is one game at a time.’
Here’s everything you need to know about Tuesday’s game between the Fever and Sparks:
What time is Indiana Fever vs. Los Angeles Sparks?
The Los Angeles Sparks will host the Indiana Fever at 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT) on Friday, Aug. 29, at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The game will be broadcast nationally on ION.
Halftime: Sparks 47, Fever 44
Kelsey Plum had 12 points in the first half to lead the Sparks against the Fever. Azura Stevens and Rickea Jackson added eight points in the first half.
The Sparks compiled nine assists in the first quarter but just one in the second quarter.
Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston each scored 12 points for the Fever.
1Q: Sparks 31, Fever 24
The Sparks finished out the opening period with the lead against Indiana at home. Azura Stevens had eight points and two assists for the Sparks in the first quarter. Dearica Hamby added six points and two assists. Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with seven points. Aliyah Boston had six points, three rebounds and two assists against L.A.
Sparks starting lineup vs. Fever
Rickea Jackson, Dearica Hamby, Azura Stevens, Kelsey Plum and Julie Allemand started for the Sparks at home against the Fever on Friday.
Fever starting lineup vs. Sparks
Odyssey Sims, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston make up the Fever’s starting lineup for Friday’s game against the Sparks.
How to watch Indiana Fever vs. Los Angeles Sparks: TV, stream
Time: 10 p.m. ET (7 p.m. PT)
Location: Crypto.com Arena (Los Angeles)
TV channel: ION
Streaming: Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)
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