Natasha Howard, Kelsey Mitchell lead Indiana past Las Vegas

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever earned a pivotal win over Las Vegas, 80-70, on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Kelsey Mitchell finished with 21 points, while Natasha Howard had an 18-point, 13-rebound, double-double and Aliyah Boston had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Fever are 13-12 and will travel to Chicago this weekend to take on the Sky at the United Center on Sunday.

Fever vs Aces stats: How many points did Kelsey Mitchell, A’ja Wilson score?

Here are three observations:

Indiana Fever earn tiebreaker over Las Vegas Aces

This win gave Indiana a pivotal season series victory and potential tiebreaker at the end of the regular season. Indiana will end the regular season with a 2-1 record over Las Vegas, meaning they will hold the tiebreaker in the case of a tie for the playoffs.

Indiana and Las Vegas are right next to each other in the WNBA standings; Indiana is in 6th place in the league at 13-12, and Las Vegas is 7th place at 12-12. Now, if the two teams have the same record at the end of the season, Indiana will finish above Las Vegas.

And, depending on how the two teams fare the rest of the season, it could mean the difference between a playoff berth or not.

Indiana also holds the tiebreaker over Atlanta, which is currently 5th at 14-10.

Natasha Howard powers Fever

Natasha Howard was all over the court for the Fever on Thursday night.

The power forward learned the tendencies of the Aces, knowing when to attack and finish through contact for extra points. She went to the line seven times on, the most of any Fever players, and made five of those shots.

She also cleaned up the boards, finishing with 13 (five offensive) to create extra possessions, leading to five extra shots for the Fever.

The power forward was able to finish through contact, clean the boards and even make a rare 3-pointer, leading the Fever with 18 points and 13 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.

Caitlin Clark misses third straight game with no timeline for return

Caitlin Clark was subjected to the sidelines again on Thursday night because of a right groin injury, marking the third straight game she has been out.

But, thankfully for the Fever, she seemed to avoid serious injury.

Indiana announced on Thursday afternoon that, after additional consultations with doctors, Clark did not have any additional damage past her right groin injury, which she suffered on June 15, meaning she avoided a tear or a serious strain. The Fever did not provide a timeline for her return, as it will depend on how she reacts to her rehab and recovery.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter.