After dominating the Chicago Sky last weekend, the following game hardly felt like a challenge for the injury-ridden Indiana Fever. The Wings were on a 5-game losing streak, Arike Ogunbowale was sidelined, and Kelsey Mitchell’s “This is the most resilient team I’ve ever been a part of,” added just the weight. However, come game time, the team’s troubling reality this season condemned them to a loss.
Entering the game without a true point guard, the Indiana Fever were left with a razor-thin margin for error. The Aces are closing in, the defense was a work in progress, and the offense lacked an initiator. Though the team had signed veteran Odyssey Sims, against the Paige Bueckers-led Dallas Wings, these shortcomings resulted in a surprising loss. If you ask Stephanie White, the game felt lost in the very initial minutes.
During their post-game press conference, the Fever head coach discussed the restrictions her players put on themselves. “I think it’s tough when you dig yourself a hole. In the first quarter and the third quarter, we dug ourselves a hole,” she admitted. Without a point guard setting up opportunities and bringing up the ball, the Fever’s offense looked disorganized from the get-go.
The Wings had managed a good 12-point lead late in the first quarter. Though Mitchell & Co. rallied to tie the score by the first half, they could never hold on to a lead. It easily translated into a disappointing 19-0 run for Chris Koclanes’ squad in the third. If White had to break down the lapses, it wasn’t much complicated than- “Turnovers for scores, easy buckets, free throws, all of those things.”
The Wings forced their opponents into 18 turnovers, resulting in 27 points. The HC directs the concern towards missing a true point guard, but it is also a troubling fact that the team ranks 5th from the last in turnovers, averaging 14.4 (only 0.4 ahead of 10th ranked Golden State).
Nonetheless, Kelsey Mitchell did show out for a 24-point play, helping the team mask the lapse. So all it came down to? The last shot Fever’s leading scorer made and missed. This was a winnable game by all means for Indiana, accounting for an embarrassing defeat. With 11 more games to go, however, White is keeping the morals up.
Stephanie White, new Indiana Fever head coach, speaks Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference held on Salesforce Court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“I continue to be proud of the grit, toughness, and resilience of this group,” she added in the press conference. The Fever are in a precarious position. After their 5-game win streak, it took one outing to stir the ship. This Fever team, though, is not giving up.
Kelsey Mitchell’s Missed Buzzer-Beater Foils Indiana Fever’s Brave Comeback
After tying the score 42-42, if the Indiana fans thought that the team would come into the second half and take control of the game, the reality was entirely different. The third quarter followed the same script as Indiana struggled on both ends of the floor. Through the 6:38 mark of the fourth quarter, they were 17 points down, and the game seemed lost.
However, Stephanie White’s side went on an incredible 19-3 run. It was just a 1-point game with 33.4 seconds left. Following a Dallas Wings’ timeout, Paige Bueckers missed a 15-foot shot, giving Indiana a chance to pull off a remarkable comeback win. However, Mitchell missed her heavily contested shot, and the Fever’s comeback fell short by 1 point.
After this loss, the Fever have slipped to the 6th seed and are now facing a tough task to get a home-court advantage. With Caitlin Clark’s return not close, the task ahead of the Indiana Fever is not easy. With a tough schedule lined up, this final stretch can make or break their season and fans’ hopes of seeing Caitlin Clark in the playoffs again.
The post Indiana Fever HC Reports Being Held to Restrictions After Paige Bueckers & Co. Force Troubling Reality appeared first on EssentiallySports.