
Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026Time: 7:30 PM ET Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse — Indianapolis, Indiana TV: ESPN Tickets: As low as $15 Betting Line: Indiana Fever -4.5 Over/Under: 191.5 Points
Indiana enters Tuesday at 20–12 while New York is 20–13. The game tips at 7:30 PM ET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse and will air nationally on ESPN. DraftKings lists Indiana as a 4.5-point favorite with the total at 191.5.
Tuesday night’s WNBA schedule features a major Eastern Conference showdown as the New York Liberty visit the Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The standings make this one especially important. Indiana enters at 20–12 and sits atop the Eastern Conference, while New York is 20–13 and only a half-game behind the Fever. The Liberty bring a four-game winning streak into Indianapolis, while Indiana is coming off a 90–86 road victory over the Chicago Sky.
The season series is tied 1–1. New York won the first regular-season meeting 83–75 on June 6 before Indiana answered emphatically with a 108–88 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on July 18.
Breanna Stewart dominated the first meeting, scoring 30 points as New York erased a double-digit deficit. Jonquel Jones added a game-high 12 rebounds. Indiana responded in the rematch behind a spectacular performance from Kelsey Mitchell, who scored 33 points on 10-of-14 shooting in the Fever’s 20-point victory.
That sets up an intriguing third meeting between two teams with legitimate postseason aspirations. Indiana owns home-court advantage and the league’s more productive offense, but New York enters Indianapolis playing some of its best basketball of the season.
Indiana’s offense begins with Mitchell and Caitlin Clark.
Mitchell is having another outstanding season, averaging 24.2 points while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. Clark adds 21.6 points, 8.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game, giving Indiana an elite combination of scoring, transition play and shot creation.
Mitchell has become particularly dangerous because defenses cannot devote all their attention to Clark. She can score coming around screens, in transition, from beyond the arc or by attacking defenders who close out too aggressively.
That was evident during Indiana’s July 18 victory over New York. Mitchell erupted for 33 points as the Fever scored 108 against one of the most talented rosters in the league.
She enters Tuesday with additional momentum after scoring 27 points in Indiana’s 90–86 victory over Chicago. Clark contributed 26 points and 11 assists as Indiana snapped a two-game losing streak.
Clark will also be available Tuesday after the WNBA rescinded the technical foul she received against Chicago. The original ruling would have been her eighth technical foul and resulted in an automatic one-game suspension, but the league overturned it following review.
That is enormous for Indiana.
New York must decide how aggressively it wants to defend Clark in ball-screen situations. Sending two defenders toward her can force the ball out of her hands, but that approach creates opportunities for Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and Indiana’s shooters.
Allowing Clark to operate against single coverage carries its own risks because she can score from well beyond the three-point line or force help by turning the corner.
Indiana is averaging 95.9 points per game while shooting 49 percent from the field. New York allows only 87.0 points per game, creating one of Tuesday’s defining matchups: the Fever’s high-powered offense against a Liberty team capable of making opponents work deep into possessions.
New York’s championship hopes continue to revolve around Stewart.
The versatile forward enters Tuesday averaging 21.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. She remains one of the WNBA’s most difficult players to defend because she can score in the post, attack slower defenders off the dribble and stretch the floor with her perimeter shooting.
Stewart already demonstrated how dangerous she can be against Indiana by scoring 30 points in New York’s June victory. Her ability to draw fouls was especially damaging as the Liberty repeatedly attacked Indiana’s interior defense.
The Fever must prevent Stewart from establishing an early rhythm.
Aliyah Boston will likely see significant time defending New York’s frontcourt actions, but Indiana may also need Monique Billings, Makayla Timpson, Myisha Hines-Allen and newly added center Mercedes Russell to contribute minutes against the Liberty’s size. Indiana’s current roster lists Russell alongside Boston and the Fever’s other frontcourt options.
The challenge becomes even more difficult because Stewart is not New York’s only interior threat.
Jonquel Jones is averaging 14.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists. At 6-foot-6, Jones can punish smaller defenders around the basket while also stepping away from the rim and creating additional space for Stewart and New York’s guards.
Jones grabbed 12 rebounds in the first regular-season meeting with Indiana. If the Fever allow New York to consistently create second-chance possessions, the Liberty could neutralize Indiana’s transition advantage.
Sabrina Ionescu remains another major concern for Indiana.
Ionescu is averaging 15.7 points, 4.5 assists and four rebounds per game. Her shooting range forces defenses to extend well beyond the three-point line, creating additional driving and post-up space for New York’s frontcourt.
New York has also received increased offensive production from Marine Johannes. Johannes averages 9.1 points, but she erupted for a career-high 27 in Sunday’s 111–71 victory over Las Vegas as the Liberty extended their winning streak to four games.
That perimeter depth becomes even more important because New York enters Tuesday with two notable injuries. Satou Sabally is listed out with a concussion, while Leonie Fiebich is out with a foot injury. Both have estimated return dates of August 18.
Their absences place additional responsibility on Stewart, Jones, Ionescu, Johannes, Pauline Astier and the rest of New York’s rotation.
Indiana must avoid becoming overly focused on Stewart. New York has enough shooting and secondary playmaking to punish aggressive help defense, particularly when Ionescu and Johannes receive clean catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Boston may be Indiana’s most important player outside of Clark and Mitchell.
The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 16.9 points, 8.5 rebounds and three assists per game. Her combination of efficiency, strength, rebounding and passing gives Indiana an important counter to New York’s size.
Boston’s screening will be especially important Tuesday. New York must decide whether Jones should remain close to the basket or step higher to defend Clark coming off ball screens.
If Jones retreats, Clark can attack from the perimeter.
If Jones steps toward Clark, Boston can roll into open space.
Boston is also capable of receiving the basketball near the foul line and finding cutters when defenses collapse around her.
Defensively, however, Boston faces a significant challenge.
She must defend aggressively without accumulating early fouls. Stewart and Jones are both capable of attacking the basket, and Indiana cannot afford to have Boston spend significant portions of the first half on the bench.
The Fever are already without Damiris Dantas for the season because of a knee injury, increasing the importance of Indiana’s remaining frontcourt rotation.
This matchup could ultimately be decided by pace.
Indiana wants Clark pushing the basketball immediately after rebounds and turnovers. Mitchell becomes especially dangerous before opposing defenses are organized, while Boston runs the floor well enough to create early interior position.
New York would prefer to force Indiana into more half-court possessions.
The Liberty average 90.7 points per game compared with Indiana’s 95.9. New York also allows only 87.0 points per game, while Indiana is surrendering 90.4. The Fever hold the offensive advantage statistically, but the Liberty own the stronger scoring-defense number.
The teams’ first two meetings illustrate how dramatically the style can change.
New York won the first game 83–75, producing only 158 combined points. Indiana then turned the rematch into a much faster offensive contest and won 108–88, producing 196 combined points.
New York should attempt to limit turnovers, control the defensive glass and force Indiana to execute against a set defense.
Indiana wants exactly the opposite.
If Clark receives the ball with space and Mitchell gets downhill before New York establishes its defensive matchups, the Fever can quickly produce scoring runs that force the Liberty out of their preferred style.
The listed thresholds are current betting targets available in the market. Player-prop numbers can move significantly before tipoff, so confirm the final number with your sportsbook before placing a wager.
Mitchell’s current scoring prop is 24.5 points across several major sportsbooks. She is averaging 24.2 points this season, making this essentially a bet on Mitchell continuing her outstanding recent scoring form.
The matchup history makes the over particularly attractive.
Mitchell scored 33 points while shooting 10-of-14 from the field during Indiana’s 108–88 victory over New York on July 18. She also enters Tuesday after scoring 27 against Chicago.
New York must devote enormous defensive attention to Clark, and that creates opportunities for Mitchell to attack rotating defenders.
Expect another high-volume night for Indiana’s leading scorer.
Sportsbooks are offering Clark’s scoring line at 21.5 points. She enters averaging 21.6 points and is coming off a 26-point performance against Chicago in which she also recorded 11 assists.
The rescinded technical foul also removes any uncertainty about Clark’s availability for this matchup.
New York will undoubtedly attempt to make Clark a facilitator, but Indiana’s pace should still provide her with transition three-pointers and opportunities to attack mismatches before the Liberty establish their defense.
Clark’s ability to score from well beyond the arc means she does not need an enormous number of field-goal attempts to reach the mid-20s.
In a nationally televised home game with major Eastern Conference positioning at stake, Clark should remain aggressive.
Jones’ rebound prop is listed at 9.5. She enters averaging 9.1 rebounds per game and previously collected 12 against Indiana in New York’s June victory.
This matchup should provide Jones with plenty of rebounding opportunities.
Indiana wants to play quickly and will take a significant number of perimeter shots when Clark and Mitchell create space. Those possessions can generate longer rebounds, while Jones’ size gives her an advantage around the defensive glass.
She can also create additional opportunities offensively.
Indiana averages 33.6 rebounds per game compared with New York’s 35.0, giving the Liberty a slight statistical advantage on the glass.
If Jones plays her normal minutes in a competitive game, double-digit rebounds are within reach.
The total sits at 191.5 at DraftKings and several other sportsbooks.
Indiana possesses enough offensive firepower to threaten 100 points on virtually any night, but New York’s defensive numbers make 191.5 a challenging threshold.
The Liberty surrender 87.0 points per game, and the first meeting between these teams produced only 158 combined points. Their second meeting reached 196, meaning Tuesday’s number is much closer to the offensive ceiling demonstrated in the season series than its floor.
New York should also have a strong incentive to control tempo after allowing Indiana to score 108 in the previous meeting.
The Liberty’s best opportunity to win is to make Clark and Mitchell execute repeatedly against a set defense rather than allowing Indiana to turn the game into a transition shootout.
A competitive fourth quarter could create late free throws, but Under 191.5 remains the preferred side of the total.
Few games remaining on the schedule carry more immediate significance for the Eastern Conference standings.
Indiana enters Tuesday at 20–12, while New York sits only a half-game behind at 20–13. The Liberty have won four consecutive games, while the Fever are attempting to build momentum after ending a two-game losing streak in Chicago.
New York possesses championship-level experience and one of the league’s strongest frontcourts with Stewart and Jones.
Indiana counters with explosive offensive firepower.
Mitchell is scoring at an elite level. Clark remains one of basketball’s most dangerous playmakers. Boston gives Indiana an efficient interior option capable of punishing defenses that devote too many resources to the perimeter.
For New York, the formula begins with Stewart.
She must force Indiana to defend the interior, draw fouls and create open opportunities for Ionescu and Johannes. Jones must control the glass, particularly when Indiana sends extra defenders toward Stewart.
For Indiana, the formula begins with tempo.
Clark must advance the ball quickly. Mitchell must continue attacking scoring opportunities. Boston must make New York pay whenever its centers step away from the basket to defend Indiana’s guards.
The first quarter could be revealing.
If Indiana establishes transition opportunities and produces open three-pointers early, New York could find itself trying to win another high-scoring game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
If the Liberty control the glass and force Indiana into lengthy half-court possessions, New York has the personnel and experience necessary to make the game uncomfortable deep into the fourth quarter.
Caitlin Clark, Indiana: Averaging 21.6 points and 8.1 assists and coming off a 26-point, 11-assist performance against Chicago.
Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana: The Fever’s leading scorer at 24.2 points per game and scored 33 in Indiana’s previous victory over New York.
Aliyah Boston, Indiana: Averaging 16.9 points and 8.5 rebounds while providing Indiana with its most important interior presence.
Breanna Stewart, New York: Liberty leading scorer at 21.3 points per game and scored 30 against Indiana in the first regular-season meeting.
Jonquel Jones, New York: Averaging 14.6 points and 9.1 rebounds and gives the Liberty a major advantage in size and offensive rebounding potential.
Sabrina Ionescu, New York: Averaging 15.7 points and 4.5 assists while providing New York with another dangerous perimeter scoring option.
Marine Johannes, New York: Averaging 9.1 points but enters Tuesday after scoring 27 in New York’s 111–71 victory over Las Vegas.
Indiana Fever 98, New York Liberty 92
Indiana Fever -4.5Under 191.5 total points Kelsey Mitchell over 24.5 points Jonquel Jones over 9.5 rebounds
Indiana’s 108–88 victory in the previous meeting demonstrated what can happen when the Fever establish their preferred pace. Mitchell dominated offensively, Indiana created efficient scoring opportunities and New York could not consistently slow the Fever’s transition attack.
The Liberty should provide considerably more resistance Tuesday.
New York enters on a four-game winning streak and remains one of Indiana’s biggest threats in the Eastern Conference standings. Stewart and Jones present significant matchup problems inside, while Ionescu and Johannes give the Liberty enough perimeter shooting to punish defensive mistakes.
However, New York will be without Sabally and Fiebich, removing two rotation pieces from a matchup against the WNBA’s highest-scoring offense among these two teams. Indiana enters averaging 95.9 points per game compared with New York’s 90.7.
Mitchell’s scoring consistency gives Indiana a dependable offensive foundation. Clark can control the game as either a scorer or distributor, while Boston provides the interior production necessary to prevent New York from concentrating exclusively on the perimeter.
Expect Stewart and Jones to keep the Liberty within striking distance for most of the evening. New York’s rebounding and defensive discipline should prevent another 20-point Indiana victory.
The deciding stretch should come in the fourth quarter.
Indiana’s ability to create shots through Clark and Mitchell gives the Fever more ways to manufacture offense when possessions become difficult. Playing at Gainbridge Fieldhouse should also allow Indiana to dictate tempo more effectively than it did during its June loss in New York.
Look for Mitchell to deliver another strong scoring performance, Clark to make several decisive plays late and Boston to battle New York’s talented frontcourt throughout the evening.
Indiana wins 98–92, covers the 4.5-point spread and strengthens its position at the top of the Eastern Conference.
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