Fever vs Sky: Kelsey Mitchell stars as Indiana beat Chicago 79-52 in WNBA

Kelsey Mitchell delivered a standout performance with 17 points and Natasha Howard contributed 13 points as the Indiana Fever cruised to a dominant 79-52 win over the Chicago Sky in the first WNBA game at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday.

The Fever (4-4) have shown resilience by winning consecutive matches, including their previous 85-76 triumph over Washington. The team has maintained a balanced record of 2-2 whilst playing without their injured star player Caitlin Clark.

The Sky suffered defeat against their opponents second time this season that too in Clark's absence due to injury. A knee injury also forced Sky's Courtney Vandersloot to exit the match during the opening quarter, preventing her return to play.

The passionate attendance of 19,496 fans set a new record, exceeding Chicago's earlier benchmark of 16,444, established in 2016 at the Allstate Arena located in suburban Rosemont.

The Sky (2-5) struggled offensively, with Angel Reese managing only four points despite collecting 12 rebounds. Kamilla Cardoso and Rebecca Allen each contributed eight points to Chicago's tally.

For Indiana, Aari McDonald delivered a solid performance with 12 points, including three successful three-pointers, alongside three steals. Aliyah Boston displayed an all-round game with 11 points, complemented by five rebounds and five assists.

The Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever will face off once again at the home venue of the NBA's Chicago Bulls and NHL's Chicago Blackhawks on July 27.

Assistant coach Austin Kelly took charge of the Fever as head coach Stephanie White was absent for personal matters.

The Sky are next scheduled to face New York away, while the Fever will travel to Atlanta for Tuesday's fixtures.