Indiana Fever's 3 Keys to Beating Chicago Sky

If the Indiana Fever can do these three things, they should beat the Chicago Sky on June 11.

Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston (7) and guard Sophie Cunningham (8) defend against Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso (10) | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever are facing the Chicago Sky on the Fever's home court on June 11.

While this seems like a very winnable game for Indiana, given that the Sky aren't trending in the right direction (they're 1-6 in their last 7 games), there are still several things the Fever need to focus on to emerge victorious on Thursday.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) huddles up with her teammates | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Fever's 3 Keys to Beating Chicago Sky

1. Avoiding Foul Trouble

The Fever are currently leading the WNBA in personal fouls committed per game, with 24.4. This has been a frustrating reality for Indiana this season, as they keep giving opponents a chance to win by providing free points through the free-throw line.

Not to mention that star guard Caitlin Clark has been in foul trouble in multiple recent games, which has forced her to miss more time in the second half than her usual rotation would typically allow. Clark is the Fever's conductor on the court, and not having her available hurts the team's rhythm.

The same goes with Aliyah Boston, given that the Fever are thin in the frontcourt. This is especially true because the Fever are facing 6'7" Sky center Kamilla Cardoso (more on her later), who would have a physicality advantage over every Indiana player aside from Boston.

Plus, Chicago is fourth in the league in free-throw attempts per game (24.7) this season, which shows that getting fouled is a big aspect of their offense.

2. Keep Sky Out of the Paint and Force Them to Shoot Three-Pointers

Since Rickea Jackson is out for the season with an injury, arguably the Sky's biggest offensive threat is center Kamilla Cardoso.

While Aliyah Boston has proven she can defeat her former college teammate in Cardoso, no question that keeping her out of the paint (and off of the free-throw line) would massively benefit Indiana.

Not to mention that Chicago's 27.9% three-point percentage is second-worst in the league, and they lack any true three-point threats. Therefore, the more that the Fever can keep the ball away from Cardoso and keep it along the perimeter on defense, the better chances they have of stopping Chicago's offense.

3. Winning the Pace Battle

It's no secret that the Fever love pushing the pace, and their league-leading 99.29 pace rating proves that.

However, the Sky are actually second in the league in pace, with a 98.2 rating. Both teams try to get transition points and will look to do so on Thursday. The team that manages this more successfully than the other is likely to emerge victorious.

If the Fever are going to win the pace battle against Chicago, they'll need to limit turnovers as much as possible. But that's always a key for any team, regardless of who their opponent is.

Ultimately, if Indiana can stay out of foul trouble both collectively and individually (especially among Clark and Boston), keep the Sky offense operating around the perimeter, and outpace them in transition, Indiana should secure a second straight win on Thursday.