mckinneyweekly.news chose Awak Kuier for Defensive Player of the Night, and Howe's capsule keeps the first-half flurry in front.
Five of Kuier's seven blocks came before halftime and tied her 2021 rookie career high, the Associated Press reported; two more followed after the break. ESPN's box score: seven blocks, 11 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal, zero turnovers, 4-for-8, 2-for-6 from three, 36 minutes. Team blocks for Dallas: eight. Her share: seven. CBS Sports matches the line.
The AP's block list
The AP said she rejected shots from Kelsey Mitchell, Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Makayla Timpson. Mitchell still scored 37 with 21 in the first half, per the AP. Boston had 14 points and nine rebounds on 5-for-11 in 29 minutes on ESPN's board; Timpson 11 and 12; Clark 4-for-15.
Stretch threes with the swats
ESPN's play-by-play shows Kuier finishing at the rim and making a 23-footer and a 27-footer - the kind of makes that pull a help defender away from the paint she was protecting. Dallas won 91-85. Arike Ogunbowale scored 32 and Jessica Shepard 26 in the same ESPN/AP accounting.
The Fever shot 41 percent (27-for-66) and 24-for-26 at the line, per ESPN. Dallas could not stop Indiana at the stripe; Kuier's blocks were the rim half of the defensive night. ESPN had Dallas 21-16 and Indiana 24-13.
The AP said Indiana's five-game streak ended short of a franchise wins record (still 24) and that Dallas was playing its first game after announcing Azzi Fudd's season-ending knee surgery.
