Indiana Fever use 3rd-quarter comeback to defeat defending champs Chicago Sky

With 10 seconds left and a one-point lead for the Fever, NaLyssa Smith went to face off against Emma Meesseman for a jump ball on the Sky’s end of the floor.

While head coach Carlos Knox put on a calm face for his team, especially his rookies, his heart was definitely racing. But he stayed composed, talked the rookies through their spots, how to set up and where to get the ball to.

But the players on the Fever bench had their emotions written all over their faces. Indiana had fought back from a 13-point deficit at halftime by scoring a season-high 35 points in the third quarter.

As Indiana waited for the ref to toss up the ball, Danielle Robinson and Tiffany Mitchell had smiles plastered on their faces. Queen Egbo was biting her nails, staring onto the court while Emma Cannon had a towel wrapped around her face, her eyes locked in on the ball.

When the ball went up, Smith tipped it to forward toward Lexie Hull, who was able to get it to Victoria Vivians, drawing the foul.

Vivians split the shots, then with 7.8 seconds left, the Fever locked in on defense, forcing a miss from Courtney Vandersloot and securing an 89-87 victory.

“It was excitement,” Cannon said. “It was a lot of our rookies on the court and we wanted to make sure that they were in the right spots and knew what to do with the ball if it went here or went there. Those moments in those games are special because a lot of games don't come out to that moment, that this is a make or break point. So it was a great learning point for everybody and it was something that was special for us to get a win at home.”

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NaLyssa Smith brought out a career performance for the upset, scoring 26 points and recording a fourth career double-double. Kelsey Mitchell neared a double-double with 13 points and 9 assists.

Rookie Lexie Hull and newcomer Emma Cannon played their most minutes yet. Hull notched a career-high 10 points while Cannon added 11 points just two weeks after joining the Fever.

“Carlos always says just stay ready and your opportunity is coming, it's coming, keep working,” Hull said. “And that's just what I've been doing. Getting extra time in the gym, just knowing that my time will come and hopefully that I can take advantage of that.”

While the jump ball may have been the game’s most intense point, Smith’s go-ahead score with 39 seconds to play was crucial. After Vivians passed it to Smith, the rookie took a dribble, spun toward the hoop then hit a jumper while being fouled. Smith hit the free throw to give her team an 88-87 lead.

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The following defensive possession for Indiana was just as important, forcing Chicago to miss four shots under the basket. The Fever were able to come down with the final rebound before the Sky reached in to draw the jump ball.

“I am extremely proud of their resilience because they are truly a team that is ready to turn the corner,” Knox said. “I talk about how our record doesn’t reflect the team that we are. But I just really feel under the circumstances, they continue to fight, they continue to push.”

Indiana’s explosive offensive in the third quarter set the team up for the win. But the Fever trailed 50-37 at halftime after a nine-point second quarter.

Through 20 minutes, Knox was disappointed in his team’s performance and let them know it during the break.

“We had a very intense conversation at halftime, to say the least. And they responded,” Knox said. “I just wanted them to be more intentional. I wanted them to understand the game plan and I wanted them to pick their game up the way we had prepared for this game. We prepared for this game at a high level and they weren’t understanding from a winning standpoint, what it took to beat the world champions.”

Kelsey Mitchell fueled the energy shift for the Fever and put up 10 third-quarter points. Indiana outscored Chicago 35-20 in the period.

Mitchell opened the quarter with a basket, before Smith scored six straight points, all from layups. Vandersloot fired back with back-to-back jumpers. Then, Emily Engstler came alive to hit a jumper and block a shot, which led to a driving layup from Mitchell.

What served as the true momentum shifter was Mitchell grabbing her own rebound under the basket, then making the layup in a flood of Sky jerseys. As the bench and crowd erupted, the Fever received a technical which only led to more cheering.

“Kelsey is understanding that she draws so much attention as a potential All-Star for our team,” Knox said. “She can be on the floor in different positions, and open up the floor for our offense in such a great way and tonight I think she displayed that.”

Robinson capped off a 10-0 run with a pair of free throws to give the Fever their first lead since early in the second quarter. While the Sky got back into rhythm on offense, the Fever stayed rolling and took a 72-70 lead into the final quarter.

Both teams put up 17 points in the fourth quarter, but Indiana’s effort made the difference.

Kahleah Copper did challenge the Fever as she put up 28 points on 61% shooting. Copper hit four three-pointers, while the Fever hit just two deep shots as a team.

The Fever will head back on the road for four straight away games, starting with the Dallas Wings on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: WNBA: 3rd-quarter explosion pushes Indiana Fever past Chicago Sky