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Preview: Sky and Fever finish the season against each other in weekend back-to-back

Both teams have been eliminated from the playoffs, but their Saturday matinee matchup in Indianapolis is still one to watch.

By Tamryn Spruill

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Courtney Vandersloot
Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

With playoffs no longer on the table, the two teams in the lone Saturday game will play for pride, records and, perhaps, simple fun.

Chicago Sky (12-20) at Indiana Fever (5-27)

When: Saturday, August 18 at 4 p.m. ET

Where: Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis | TICKETS

How to watch: NBA TV (nationally) | Fox Sports Indiana (Indianapolis)

Injuries: For the Fever, Shenise Johnson (ACL rehab) remains out. For the Sky, there were no injuries to report.

Storylines

Just because these teams fell out of playoff contention weeks ago doesn’t mean today’s matchup will be free of excitement. Here are some of the storylines:

  • With nothing on the line, the Sky and Fever are expected to play free and hopefully have fun!
  • Despite losing seasons, these players are competitors and will want to win today’s contest even if only to make minor cosmetic improvements to their season records.
  • These players are champions (Cappie Pondexter and Candice Dupree, Fever) and All-Stars (Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot, Sky), so expect pride to be a factor.
  • Dupree is coming off of a game in which she scored her 6,000th career point, so she’ll be looking to end the game on a high note.
  • Another Sky game is another opportunity for Vandersloot to break or set a WNBA record, something she has done consistently since the All-Star break, making her a top candidate for the Most Improved Player award.
  • With standings and playoffs out of the picture, the coaches just might let their rookies run the show. A ton of minutes for electric rookies like the Sky’s Diamond DeShields and the Fever’s Victoria Vivians could make for exciting basketball.
  • Chicago leads the regular-season series between these teams 1-0, with Saturday’s and Sunday’s games set to determine a series winner.

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