INDIANAPOLIS — Stephanie White knew tips on how to beat the Indiana Fever final season as coach of the Connecticut Solar. She went 5-1 in opposition to them, together with a 2-0 playoff collection sweep.
Now teaching the Fever this WNBA season, White is aware of what opponents will attempt to do in opposition to Indiana. The Atlanta Dream did it Tuesday in a 91-90 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“We did not deal with their physicality. That is going to be the M.O. in opposition to us all yr lengthy,” White mentioned. “Groups are going to be bodily. That is how I might play us.
“They’ll push us, they will shove us, they will maintain us. They’ll do no matter they’re allowed to get away with, and now we have work out tips on how to use that physicality in opposition to them.”
The Dream, who even have a brand new coach this season in Karl Smesko, added two veteran publish gamers in free company, each of whom performed nicely Tuesday. Brittney Griner had 21 factors and eight rebounds and Brionna Jones 19 and 13. It was a robust bounce-back for Atlanta, which opened the season with an 94-90 loss at Washington on Friday.
The Dream and Fever meet once more Thursday, this time in Atlanta. That sport was moved to State Farm Area, which holds practically 17,000 followers, to accommodate the anticipated massive crowd that Fever star Caitlin Clark often attracts. The Dream play most of their residence video games at Gateway Middle Area, which holds about 3,500.
Clark, after opening the season with a triple-double within the Fever’s 35-point win over Chicago on Saturday, had one other sturdy efficiency Tuesday: 27 factors, 11 assists and 5 rebounds. Teammates Aliyah Boston (24 factors, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) and Kelsey Mitchell (24 factors) additionally performed nicely. However as a staff, the Fever made simply 16 of 26 free throws, whereas Atlanta made 25 of 32.
“Right now we failed miserably as a gaggle as a result of there have been sure issues set in stone for us to be efficient from quarter 1 to quarter 4,” Mitchell mentioned. “And also you guys did not see what it was speculated to appear like till quarter 3½.
“So it sorts of simply lies within the self-discipline proper now: consciousness, realizing personnel. Sure stuff now we have to residence in on to achieve success. Our lulls have been too low. They cannot be that low. We do not have that margin for error.”
Nonetheless, regardless of trailing many of the sport, the Fever battled again to outscore Atlanta 25-15 within the fourth quarter. With 21.1 seconds left, Indiana took its first lead — 90-89 — for the reason that sport’s opening basket when Boston made the second of two free throws.
However then Rhyne Howard, who completed with 20 factors, was fouled and made each free throws for Atlanta.
Indiana nonetheless had an opportunity to win with the ball and 9.1 seconds left. However Natasha Howard had a shot blocked after which missed on a follow-up try. Clark mentioned these are conditions through which the Fever will develop.
“We wished to win this sport, however that is nice for our staff,” Clark mentioned. “A bit adversity, how are we going to reply? I’ve to provide my staff a whole lot of credit score; we by no means gave up. We discovered a option to get again in it.
“Now we have an opportunity to go there and play them [again]. We are able to get a bit of redemption if we go down there and play nicely.”
