Fever Take Aim at Dallas as Red-Hot Road Trip Tips Off Deep in the Heart of Texas

The Indiana Fever are packing plenty of heat as they head to Dallas to open their longest road trip of the season—a four-game western swing that begins Friday night against the struggling but scrappy Wings at American Airlines Center.

Winners of three straight, the Fever (15-12) are firing on all cylinders, fresh off a 107-101 victory over the Phoenix Mercury that lit up the Gainbridge Fieldhouse scoreboard. That win wasn’t just a W—it was a statement. Aari McDonald exploded for a career-high 27 points, Aliyah Boston poured in 17 of her 22 in a ferocious fourth quarter, and Indiana posted its third-highest scoring game in franchise history. With playoff positioning heating up, the Fever are ready to fan the flames on the road.

Friday night’s showdown features a fresh face in the league: Rookie of the Year frontrunner Paige Bueckers, who leads Dallas in scoring (18.3 PPG), assists (5.5), and steals (1.8). The Wings (8-20) may be grounded in the standings, but they’ve shown signs of turbulence for opponents. Just ask the Liberty, who fell to Dallas 92-82 on Monday, or the Storm, who were blown away 87-63 in Seattle just last week.

Bueckers teams up with veteran sharpshooter Arike Ogunbowale in the backcourt, creating a high-octane duo that will test Indiana’s defensive rotations. With JJ Quinerly, Haley Jones, and Luisa Geiselsoder rounding out the starting five, the Wings are young, versatile, and ready to run.

The Fever will counter with a balanced and battle-tested unit. Aari McDonald now looks fully unleashed as the point guard, while Kelsey Mitchell—despite a rare off night against Phoenix—remains a lethal perimeter threat. Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Howard bring grit and scoring to the wing, and Boston anchors the paint as both a rim protector and offensive force.

Key to Friday’s matchup will be the Fever’s ability to push the pace and pound the glass. Indiana’s depth continues to be their not-so-secret weapon, with players like Damiris Dantas and Sydney Colson stepping up in big moments off the bench. In their win over the Mercury, five different Fever players scored in double digits—a trend they’ll need to replicate to keep this road trip rolling.

After Friday, the Fever head westward for back-to-back matchups against Seattle (Sunday) and Los Angeles (Tuesday), before wrapping things up with a rematch against Phoenix (Thursday). With momentum on their side and postseason aspirations within reach, the Fever are looking to saddle up and ride this hot streak into August with a Texas-sized win.

Catch all the action Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION, or stream it live via the Fever App—your one-stop shop for scores, stats, and all things Indiana Fever.