Indiana Fever host Portland Fire today

The Indiana Fever return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday, May 20, to face the Portland Fire in the teams’ first meeting of the 2026 season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, with USA Network carrying the broadcast, according to ESPN’s schedule listing and The Indianapolis Star’s game guide. Indiana enters the game coming off an 89-78 home win over the Seattle Storm on Sunday, a result that gave the Fever an early-season lift after a pair of close home losses. Yahoo Sports said Caitlin Clark finished that game with 21 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. (espn.com) Aliyah Boston’s status has been one of the main questions around the matchup. Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that Boston’s availability against Portland “could change everything” for Indiana after the Fever played without her against Seattle. ### When and where is the game? (sports.yahoo.com) Gainbridge Fieldhouse is the site for Wednesday’s game, and the Fever are scheduled to host Portland at 7 p.m. ET. ESPN’s schedule page lists the game on USA Network, while The Indianapolis Star said its preview included start time and streaming information for viewers. (sports.yahoo.com) The Fever’s January schedule release identified May 20 as Portland’s only regular-season visit to Indianapolis. Indiana is also scheduled to play at Portland on May 30 and July 31. ### Why is this Portland matchup different? The Fever’s Jan. 21 schedule announcement said 2026 would bring the franchise’s first meetings with expansion teams Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. (espn.com) That makes Wednesday not just another early-season game, but Indiana’s first regular-season test against Portland’s new roster. (fever.wnba.com) The same team release noted that the WNBA is returning to Portland, where an earlier version of the Fire played from 2000 to 2002. Indiana assistant coach Tully Bevilaqua played for that original Fire team in all three seasons, according to the Fever release. ### What form is Caitlin Clark bringing into tonight? (fever.wnba.com) Clark’s most recent line came Sunday against Seattle: 21 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, according to Yahoo Sports. The outlet framed the performance as part of a game in which Clark remained central to Indiana’s offense even as attention also turned to a sideline exchange with an assistant coach. (fever.wnba.com) Sunday’s win also gave Indiana a cleaner offensive baseline heading into Portland. The Fever had opened the season at home against Dallas on May 9, and ESPN’s schedule page shows Wednesday’s game as the next stop in a four-game homestand that continues Friday against Golden State. ### How much does Aliyah Boston’s status matter? (sports.yahoo.com) Yahoo Sports said Boston’s availability was a pivotal variable because Indiana looked different without her against Seattle. Boston had missed that game after dealing with a lower-leg issue, and her presence affects Indiana’s frontcourt rotation and the minutes available to replacements. (espn.com) Sports Illustrated, as cited in the source briefing, reported that veteran Myisha Hines-Allen moved into the starting lineup in Boston’s place against Seattle. That gave Indiana a different look alongside Clark in the Fever’s most recent win. ### What comes next for Indiana after Portland? (sports.yahoo.com) The Fever’s official schedule shows Indiana staying home after Wednesday, with Golden State due at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, May 22. Portland, meanwhile, is scheduled to see Indiana twice more this season, with games in Oregon on May 30 and July 31. (sports.yahoo.com) Wednesday’s matchup is one of the first checkpoints in that new series. For Indiana, the immediate details are set: Portland at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, 7 p.m. ET, on May 20, with Clark coming off a 21-point, 10-assist, seven-rebound performance and Boston’s availability under close watch. (espn.com) (fever.wnba.com)