PREVIEW: The Indiana Fever return to action against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center, facing a challenging matchup without star guard Caitlin Clark. Clark has been ruled out with a right groin strain, marking her 11th missed game this season, with the team opting for caution ahead of the All-Star break. The Fever will rely on Aari McDonald to run the offense, with Kelsey Mitchell leading the scoring and Aliyah Boston anchoring the frontcourt. The key battle will unfold in the paint, with Boston facing off against Liberty star Breanna Stewart, while Sabrina Ionescu's outside shooting and playmaking will test Indiana's perimeter defense. The Liberty sit atop the Eastern Conference with a 14-6 record, having started the season 9-0 before cooling off to a 5-6 stretch, including a recent 79-72 victory over the Atlanta Dream. They continue to play without five-time All-Star Jonquel Jones, who has missed eight straight games with an ankle injury, during which the team has gone 4-4. This is the third regular-season meeting between the teams, with the series currently tied 1-1 - the Liberty won 90-88 in May, while the Fever responded with a dominant 102-88 victory in June. The game will serve as the final contest for both teams before the All-Star break, tipping off at 7:30 PM Eastern and broadcasting nationally on CBS Sports Network, with local coverage on WTHR Channel 13 in Indianapolis and Fox 5 in New York.