While the Atlanta Dream are off to a strong start on their longest road stretch of the season, the Indiana Fever sit in position to match their win total from 2022.
Both teams will look for a third consecutive victory when they meet Sunday in Indianapolis.
The Dream (4-5) opened this campaign with an 85-78 loss at Dallas, but followed with consecutive road wins over Minnesota, New York and Connecticut by a combined 17 points. The latter two victories, which came after a three-game slide, opened a stretch of four consecutive road contests.
Allisha Gray, who averages a team-leading 18.0 points per game, collected 27 points and 10 rebounds during Thursday’s 92-88 overtime win against the Sun. The Dream are averaging 84.0 points this season after ranking second-to-last at 78.5 in 2022.
Atlanta, which is allowing a hefty 85.7 points per contest, dropped a 90-87 decision on May 28 to the Fever (4-6), who hardly resemble the team that finished 5-31 in 2022.
Indiana snapped a WNBA record-tying 20-game losing streak in that meeting at Atlanta. The Fever’s NaLyssa Smith (14.3 points, 9.7 rebounds per game) had 23 points with 13 boards in a game that featured 20 lead changes and was essentially determined on Indiana’s successful coach’s challenge to a Kelsey Mitchell foul with 16.7 seconds remaining.
Mitchell (16.8 ppg), who sank a pair of free throws to clinch that victory, hit a tiebreaking, step-back jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining Thursday to give Indiana a 92-90 win at Chicago.
Overall No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston totaled 42 points and 22 rebounds in the last two games for Indiana.
The Fever have won three of their last four games. They averaged 87.0 points in the last three.
