Why is Temi Fagbenle not playing tonight vs New York Liberty? Exploring status of Indiana Fever's veteran center (June 2)

For the third game running, Temi Fagbenle will not play any part in Indiana Fever's game in the ongoing 2024 WNBA season. The Indiana Fever will be at the Barclays Center on June 2 to square off against the New York Liberty.

It will be the second game in two days for the Indiana Fever as Christie Sides' team played against the Chicago Sky at home during an early tip-off on June 1.

The 31-year-old Indiana Fever center Temi Fagbenle will not feature in the game on June 2 as she has been sidelined with an injury. Fagbenle is expected to be out for another two weeks with a left foot injury. She sustained the injury during a match against the LA Sparks at home and has since missed matches against the Seattle Storm and the Chicago Sky.

The Indiana Fever suffered a defeat against the Seattle Storm but survived against the Chicago Sky and registered a 71-70 win without Fagbenle.

Veteran center Fagbenle was turning into a pivotal piece in Christie Sides rotation before going down with an injury. Temi Fagbenle and Caitlin Clark seemed to have developed a solid connection on the offensive end of the floor.

Before getting injured, Fagbenle was averaging 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists.

Indiana Fever registered much-needed win on June 1

The Indiana Fever are desperate to string together some wins. Temi Fagbenle's injury only adds salt to the franchise's wounds. Having said that, the Indiana Fever secured a much-desired win on June 1 when they defeated the Chicago Sky.

With the victory, Indiana Fever improved to 2-8 on the season after playing 10 matches. Currently, the Indiana Fever are ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and 11th overall in the WNBA.

There are only three teams in the WNBA this season with less than three wins and Indiana Fever is one of them. The Indiana Fever and LA Sparks have won two games each this season, while the Washington Mystics are yet to open their account after playing eight matches.

Fever needs to win matches to stay alive in the race for playoffs. Another bad stretch of play like the one they have endured in the first 10 matches of the season could spell doom for the Indiana Fever.