The Indiana Fever played without a key member of their squad in their historic road win against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Myisha Hines-Allen was a surprise omission from the Fever’s team sheet for the day. There was no injury update about Hines-Allen before the match. So coach Stephanie White clarified why the Fever forward was absent as they bested the Aces 109-75.
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“Stephanie White said postgame that Myisha Hines-Allen did not play today because she was dealing with a family situation, and White wanted her to have a day to herself. Hines-Allen posted on her Instagram yesterday that she attended her grandma’s funeral,” IndyStarSports reporter Chloe Peterson posted on X.
Hines-Allen has been a key rotational piece for this Fever team. She is averaging 4.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.5 steals per game while averaging only 15.4 minutes per game. She is a crucial element of this Fever team’s defensive structure, especially during transitional play.
Neither the coach nor Hines-Allen has divulged any more details as the Fever stands by their player during this tough stretch. However, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell scripted league and franchise history despite Hines-Allen’s absence.
Clark was playing on restricted minutes after missing two games due to a back injury. However, that didn’t stop the Fever star from becoming the fastest player to reach 600 assists in the WNBA. She handily beat previous record holder Ticha Penicheiro’s 81-game record, reaching the milestone in just 72 games. Clark finished the night with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
However, Clark wasn’t the only one breaking records, as her teammate Kelsey Mitchell had her 39th consecutive game scoring in double figures, the second-longest streak of its kind in franchise history.
She became the fifth player in WNBA history to score at least 25 points in six consecutive games, joining her opponent for the night, A’ja Wilson, and legends like Tina Charles, Arike Ogunbowale, and Maya Moore. She also inched closer to the top-five three-point hitters in WNBA history.
“Congrats to Kelsey Mitchell on moving into 7th All-Time in WNBA History in Three-Pointers Made,” Indiana Fever posted.
Although the Las Vegas Aces couldn’t get into their swing, their star A’ja Wilson also moved up on another all-time list. Wilson recorded her 132nd career double-double, passing WNBA icon Lisa Leslie to reach number 14 on the WNBA all-time scoring list with 6,281 career points.
This was also significant for Indiana in other ways as they handed the Aces their biggest loss of the season. The Fever led by as many as 34 points at one point, and the Aces never really looked like they were threatening their lead.
With a 14-9 record this season, this win against the defending WNBA champions will surely give the Fever a much-needed confidence boost.