Fever vs Sky – Will Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese Play on June 1st? Prediction, Injury Report and Starting 5

The Indiana Fever will battle it out against the Chicago Sky on Saturday at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Indianapolis. The match is highly anticipated since it will be the first WNBA clash between the NCAA stars Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. Fans will be keen to watch if the duo continues their cutthroat competition and attract a lot of viewers.

Both teams have numerous stars and fans that would tune in to their television to watch the following players at 12 PM ET.

Players to Watch

The key player to watch out for the Indiana Fever is Caitlin Clark. Clark has become the alpha of the team in no time and she looks dangerous. Potting 17.6 points per game, Clark had her first 30-point game against the Los Angeles Sparks. Another reason to watch her is the popular rivalry between her and Reese that started in the 2022-23 NCAA Championship game. It will be interesting to see who will have the last laugh in their first WNBA clash.

Another player to keep an eye on from the Fever camp is their guard Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell has thrashed 14.1 points per game in the matches she has played so far. She has mostly scored in double digits this season with her highest being 18 against the Los Angeles Sparks. If the Fever are to win this game, then Mitchell will have to get going.

The Chicago Sky have won three games and lost an equal three. The credit for their wins goes to their guard Marina Mabrey. Mabrey has throttled 16.8 points per game with 6.4 rebounds per match. Therefore she has been instrumental in giving the Sky a good season. Fans will be keen to see how Clark tackles Mabrey in the defense since both are the highest scorers for the team and Mabrey relies a lot on her shooting skills much like Clark.

Despite so much competition, the highlight of the will be the battle between Reese and Clark. Reese has till now soused 11 points per game with 8.2 rebounds per match. Her best performance of 13 points came against the New York Liberty and if Clark’s offensive skills are to be countered then ‘Chi Barbie’ is the answer.

Head to Head

As per Ai Score, the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky have played a total of 86 games. While the Chicago Sky have won 33 games, the Fever have emerged victorious in 53. The stats clearly indicate that the Fever have an advantage but will the benefit last considering the team is new with the additions of Clark and Reese?

The biggest Chicago score is 108 points in a game between the two last year while Indiana stands at 103. Would the rookies be capable to deliver such high points?

Prediction

Considering their previous stats, the Fever have an upper hand but the Sky is not far behind. While the Sky have won three games, the Fever have emerged victorious only in one. This stat makes it all the more difficult for the Fever to emerge victorious.

Both Sky and Fever have decimated almost 80 points in most of their games. This will again make the upcoming clash a neck-to-neck competition. However, considering the star-studded lineup of the Sky, they are favorites to win this. Another reason that they might succeed in their task is because they have good depth hence they can rotate players something that can come in handy in this game considering that it will be an offensive treat to watch.

Injury Report

The Fever have three injured players Damiris Dantas, Temi Fagbenle, and Erica Wheeler. While Dantas has a knee injury which will be evaluated in the coming weeks, Fagbenle also has a foot injury that will be looked at within 2 to 3 weeks. Meanwhile, Wheeler did not play the game against the Storm due to a personal reason.

As for the Chicago Sky, they suffered a setback at the beginning of the season when their rookie Kamilla Cardoso was sidelined due to a shoulder injury. However, there is a conversation regarding Cardoso’s return sometime this week. 

Starting Five

Indiana Fever: NaLyssa Smith, Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Katie Lou Samuelson

Chicago Sky: Angel Reese, Marina Mabrey, Diamond DeShields, Dana Evans, Elizabeth Williams