All of that hype is valid, Sydney Colson has been in the league since 2011, and she’s riding off of relatively fresh back-to-back titles with the Aces in 2022 and 2023. Moreover, she looked all set to do it with the Fever in the winning postgame presser vs. the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. There she responded to the interviewer, “Yeah. I made it clear that this needed to be a turning point in our season.” That’s an authoritative tone right there.
She added, “So far, like our coaches have told us, the only full 40-minute game we played was against Seattle, and we won that one.” Makes you wonder how important closely analyzing performances can be. She then followed it with a straight fact,
“We looked good, like we were on the same page. But then, we were up and down again in the next two games.” Which is why heading into this high-stakes showdown, the Fever had just one strategy:
“to keep playing consistently.” And
their power weapon last night?
“I told them: no one expects us to win, so we’re going to play free. Let’s go out there, execute on both ends, and have confidence. Believe we can do this, even on their home court.”
That kind of wisdom only comes with time, and the Fever made full use of it tonight. They finished 74 points as opposed to 59 by the Lynx, and led the game throughout while shooting 42.9% from the field as compared to the Lynx’s 34.9%, and 42.1% from three versus just 25% from Minnesota. They also out rebounded them 40 to 30, racked up more assists (20 to 13), and even shot a perfect 100% from the free-throw line (12-12). Defensively, they were sharper too, and had fewer turnovers (14 vs 16). Hopefully for Indy fans, the squad will keep that energy high and trust their veterans (Sydney Colson and Natasha Howard) to lead them to a championship.
Apart from Sydney Colson, Another One of Fever’s Veterans…
…stepped up in a way that changed everything. Natasha Howard just showed up and showed out last night. Upon returning to the gym where her career started, she said, “It feels good to be back.” Irony is that Howard even won a championship with the Lynx. Yep, the same league-leading team she managed to absolutely crush today. She also has 2 more championship rings, both with the Storm. Naturally, “You would think she’d be like, I’m good,” Krauskopf said. “Nope. She wants to do it at the place she got drafted.”
That mindset was also evident in her performance last night. Natasha Howard dominated with a game-high 16 points and 12 rebounds. She stepped up without Caitlin Clark, the Fever’s usual offensive leader. But it wasn’t just her. Coach Stephanie White and Howard had a clear game plan. They simply shut down Napheesa Collier, one of the league’s most unstoppable scorers.
Postgame, an interviewer asked, “Coach, not many teams have slowed Napheesa Collier like you did. 5 turnovers, under 50% shooting. What was the strategy?” The stats backed it up, the Fever held her far below her usual 24.4 PPG and 8.5 RPG. Coach White didn’t hold back explaining their approach. “First and foremost, Tasha was a defensive player near in our league. She’s got length, athleticism, and fast-twitch reflexes, so she could recover, contest, and contain.”
That’s the kind of trust you only put in a veteran, and Natasha Howard unfailingly delivered. “She (Natasha Howard) stayed incredibly disciplined and made Phee take tough shots. I felt like our off-ball defense, with the exception of the first quarter, was really good. We showed multiple bodies.” The disruption didn’t stop with Howard though. “We didn’t commit one way or another because she’s a really good facilitator, we recovered back to shooters. So we were able to keep them off balance by being disruptive.”
The result? Sophie Cunningham added 13 off the bench, while Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aari McDonald each scored 12. “And so it really was, Tash, outstanding one-on-one defense and then a collective team effort, and to finish plays, and to defensive rebound,” White concluded. Now, Collier’s Commissioner’s Cup repeat and All-Star hopes look much harder.
