With last night’s 78-74 win over Seattle, the Indiana Fever locked in their fifth straight victory. This marked their longest streak of the season. Actually, scratch that. It’s their longest since the Catchings era, with just one exception (that brief run from Aug 27 to Sept 5 last year). But here’s the kicker: this time, they did it without Caitlin Clark. Yep, their floor general and three-point flamethrower, who has been sidelined with a right groin injury.
Head coach Stephanie White put it perfectly: “While we don’t like it, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise because everybody else finds themselves, right?” And she’s not wrong, it’s truly a blessing in disguise because it forced Indiana’s supporting cast to step up.
In Clark’s absence, players like Kelsey Mitchell, Aari McDonald, Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham have all seen their usage and confidence spike. Last night, Indiana (17-12) led by 12 with under five minutes to play, but Seattle (16-13) stormed back (literally). They pulled within a single point in the final minute after a flurry of offensive boards. That’s when Mitchell calmly rose and hit a dagger midrange jumper, giving the Fever a three-point cushion. Seattle missed six of its next seven, Aliyah Boston hit the insurance free throws with two seconds left, and Indiana walked away with a win that said one thing loud and clear:
Even without Caitlin Clark, this team is playoff material.
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