The New York Liberty will try to snap their three-game losing streak and shake off their midseason slump when they face the Indiana Fever on Saturday night. The game is set for 8 p.m. ET and will be available on CBS Sports and Paramount+.
The Fever, 15-10 overall, have a quick turnaround after a 110-107 victory over the Seattle Storm on Friday night. Caitlin Clark set a career high with 45 points and made history as the first WNBA player to ever register 40-plus points and 10 assists in a single game.
Meanwhile, the Liberty have lost seven of their last nine, including a close 93-91 loss to the Toronto Tempo on Sunday, their most recent outing. They have dropped to a 13-11 overall record and are now in seventh place in the WNBA standings. Due to mechanical issues with the Liberty's charter flight, their game against the Dallas Wings this week -- originally scheduled for July 16 -- was postponed until Monday.
Here is what you need to know ahead of the Liberty vs. Fever matchup.
We've got @WNBA action coming your way tomorrow
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) July 17, 2026
The @nyliberty and the @IndianaFever clash on @CBS and @paramountplus at 8PM ET
Coverage begins at 7:30 PM ET 🔥 pic.twitter.com/U79ABIer83
Where to watch New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever
Date: Saturday, July 18 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse -- Indianapolis, Indiana
TV: CBS | Live stream: Paramount+
Odds (via FanDuel): Liberty -2.5, O/U: 179.5
Last meeting
The Liberty picked up an 83-75 victory over the Fever during their most recent meeting on June 6. Breanna Stewart scored 30 points for New York, with the majority coming from the free-throw line, where she went 18 for 21. Sabrina Ionescu did not play due to back soreness. At the time, she had only played one game this season because of injury.
Meanwhile, Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever's effort with a team-high 21 points. It was not a good shooting night for Clark as she went 4 of 14 from the field for only 10 points. She flirted with a triple-double with nine assists and seven rebounds, but she also struggled on defense and with foul trouble. She picked up her fifth foul with 6:26 remaining in the fourth quarter and headed to the bench. At the time, the Fever were up by three points. After the game, Clark said she had a few "dumb" fouls.
Caitlin Clark shakes off shooting struggles
Ahead of Thursday's game against the Storm, Clark was shooting just 3 of 19 from 3-point range in July. She has been dealing with back issues since the beginning of the season and has been on a minutes restriction recently.
However, Clark shook off those struggles on Friday and registered a career high 45 points while going 11 of 18 from the field, including 6 of 10 from beyond the arc in just 29 minutes. In the process, Clark became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 200 career 3-pointers.
Postgame, Clark said this performance was a good way to bounce back and a good opportunity to help her team while co-star Aliyah Boston sat out with a leg injury.
"I feel like you just have to believe you're going to have those types of nights and you have to visualize having those types of nights and I feel like that's what I did," Clark said. "It's not always going to go your way…I know all the time and the work that I've put in and people believe in me and, more than anything, I believe in myself."
the bench reaction to Caitlin Clark's record-setting shot 🔥
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 18, 2026
she finished with a franchise-record 45 points. pic.twitter.com/pyizzcLWll
Kelsey Mitchell's hot streak
Mitchell was another standout in the game against Seattle with 30 points, including an impressive 17 points in the first quarter alone. She and Clark combined for 75 points, which set a franchise record for the most points by a Fever duo in a single game.
Mitchell has been leading the team in scoring this season with 22.9 points per contest and she has been an even more important piece for the team while Clark went through her shooting slump.
Friday marked Mitchell's 14th 30-plus point scoring game of her career. It was also her ninth consecutive 20-plus point game, which tied her for the fifth-longest streak in WNBA history and the longest active streak. In each of those games, Mitchell has scored at least three 3-pointers.
Liberty's mid-season slump
As crazy as it sounds, there is a real possibility the 2024 WNBA champions could miss the playoffs if they don't figure things out soon. Only the top eight teams in the standings reach the postseason, and if the playoffs started today, the Liberty would barely make it in.
While it would be easy to say New York is just going through a learning curve because they have a new coach, Chris DeMarco, the team was doing just fine earlier in the season. Before this slump, New York was one of the hottest teams in the league with an eight-game winning streak from May 27 to June 17. They also became the winners of the 2026 Commissioner's Cup with a win against Las Vegas on June 30.
Something that has stood out is New York seeing a double-digit deficit -- specifically in the second half -- in five of its last seven games, which has forced the team to constantly play catch-up. It hasn't been a good recipe for a Liberty team expected to compete at the top of the league.
New York's injury bug
Injuries to key players have certainly played a role in the Liberty not meeting expectations to this point in the season. Ionescu needed some time to find her rhythm after missing 12 of the Liberty's first 13 games due to injuries. Ionescu is back on the court and has led the team in scoring the last two games. However, New York can't seem to shake the injury bug.
One of the key players missing right now is starting forward Satou Sabally, who is out indefinitely after entering concussion protocol in late June. She has a history of head injuries, so the medical staff wants to be cautious with her. DeMarco said she will be out until after the All-Star Break.
There is also starting forward Leonie Fiebich, who has missed four consecutive games due to left foot soreness. Despite DeMarco saying she is "progressing very well," there is no timetable on her return.
