Catchings, Douglas help Fever beat Sky 83-72

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) Tamika Catchings scored 22 points and Katie Douglas added 21 to lead the Indiana Fever to an 83-72 victory over the Chicago Sky on Friday night.

Jessica Davenport scored 12 points for the Fever (2-0), who won for the ninth time in the last 10 meetings against the Sky and improved to 20-5 in the all-time series.

Sylvia Fowles scored 16 of her 21 points in the second half to lead the Sky (1-1). Epiphanny Prince had 17 points and Shay Murphy added 10.

Chicago trailed by just three points early in the fourth quarter before Indiana pulled away. A 3-pointer by Catchings extended the Fever's lead to 75-53 with 3:24 to play.

Catchings, the WNBA's reigning MVP, had six early points to help Indiana to a 21-18 lead through one quarter. The Fever used a 7-0 run midway through the period for a 15-9 edge. Swin Cash scored six points in the quarter as the Sky twice crept within a point but got no closer.

The teams combined for 1-of-13 shooting early in the second quarter. Chicago went scoreless for nearly 4 minutes before Prince hit a jumper. Prince had nine points in the quarter, including a late 3 that gave the Sky a 31-29 lead. It didn't last as Douglas' jumper tied it and the Fever went on to a 37-35 halftime lead.

Fowles scored 10 points in the third quarter but couldn't put Chicago in front. Douglas made two buckets in the final 2 minutes to give Indiana a 58-54 lead entering the fourth.

Updated May 25, 2012