CHICAGO -- Tamika Catchings scored 27 points and Shenise Johnson added 22 to help the Indiana Fever beat the Chicago Sky 100-89 in the decisive game of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday night.
Erlana Larkins added 18 points and Marissa Coleman had 17 for the third-seeded Fever, who won the series 2-1 and advance to face top-seeded New York or fourth-seeded Washington. Those teams conclude their semifinal Tuesday in New York.
Elena Delle Donne led second-seeded Chicago with 40 points, two short of the league’s playoff record set by Angel McCoughtry in 2010 according to STATS. The league’s MVP was 15-of-22 from the field. She averaged 12.5 points in the previous two games. Allie Quigley added 18 points for the Sky.
Catchings hit a 3 and Larkins completed a 3-point play for an 81-67 Indiana lead with 7:25 left. Coleman made a 3 with 1:05 remaining for a 93-85 lead to all but seal the win. The Fever made seven of eight free throws in the final minute.
The Fever went on a 9-2 run to take a 63-52 lead in the third.
Catchings became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000 points in the playoffs. She now has 1,019.
Indiana led 52-47 at halftime behind Johnson’s 15 points and Catchings’ 13. Delle Donne had 21 for Chicago.