INDIANAPOLIS — The Fever would have by no means predicted at first of the season that they’d be on this place in late August.
The expectation coming into the 12 months was that they might be competing on the high of the standings. As an alternative, heading into Tuesday’s sport in opposition to Seattle, a win was crucial simply to stay within the playoff spots late within the season.
The competition marked the beginning of a string of contests that may go a good distance in deciding the destiny of the Fever’s postseason hopes. Indiana is presently battling the aforementioned Storm, the Sparks and the Valkyries for the ultimate three spots within the playoffs.
These three groups make up the subsequent three video games on Indiana’s schedule within the coming week. It’s an important stretch of the season for the Fever, and so they began it off in the easiest way doable.
Led by the trio of Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Odyssey Sims — the most recent Fever guard to excel on a hardship contract — Indiana cruised to a completely dominated 95-75 win over Seattle.
“It was big,” head coach Stephanie White mentioned postgame. “I imply, each sport at this level within the season is large and this was a giant one for us, We knew that we needed to come out and have a way of urgency. I felt like this was as near 40 minutes as we’ve put collectively persistently in a very long time. I’m pleased with this group.”
Indiana was wobbling heading into this contest, to say the least. After a five-game win streak noticed them sit at 17-12 and a half-game out of the No. 4 seed in early August, the Fever had misplaced six of their final eight video games and fell to 19-18. They entered Tuesday only one sport up on the Sparks for the eighth and last playoff spot.
In lots of senses, it was gut-check time for Indiana. They will hardly be blamed for faltering late within the season as Caitlin Clark and Chloe Bibby stay out whereas Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson all have suffered season-ending accidents.
It’s been a rotating door of perimeter gamers becoming a member of the roster this season with Sims being the most recent to start out at level guard. Tuesday was her best displaying for Indiana as she tallied 22 factors and 6 assists in 28 minutes, together with a circus 3-pointer within the fourth to cap off her evening.
Boston was spectacular as properly, ending with 27 factors — 10 of these in a decisive third quarter — and 9 rebounds. Mitchell had 21 factors on an evening she additionally set the single-season franchise file for factors.
Indiana was dominant in about each manner within the win, highlighted by successful the rebounding battle 42-21 and outscoring the Storm in second likelihood factors 22-4.
However as vital as Tuesday’s victory was, it would imply little if the Fever don’t observe it up on Friday in LA and Sunday in San Francisco. As a lot pleasure as there was within the win, the prevailing message from the crew postgame was that there’s nonetheless work to be finished.
“This one felt good,” Sims mentioned. “The togetherness that we’ve got offensively and defensively as a gaggle actually confirmed our progress. We’re going to take this momentum into our subsequent sport and…we’re going to take it one sport at a time, concentrate on our subsequent opponent, and keep locked in.”
The Fever might not be within the state of affairs they imagined again in Could, however they nonetheless must handle the one they’re in. A robust week from the Fever received’t assure a playoff berth, however it would make it a far simpler feat to perform.
Indiana’s upcoming street journey with embody the video games in opposition to the Sparks and Valkyries earlier than ending up in Phoenix, an area the place they misplaced by 35 factors of their final go to this season. Nevertheless, they’ll come house and finish the 12 months with video games in opposition to Chicago and Washington, two groups out of the playoff race, earlier than a finale in opposition to a Minnesota crew that will properly have the highest seed clinched and will relaxation gamers for the playoffs within the contest.
It’s a good near the common season for Indiana, making each Tuesday’s win and the upcoming stretch of video games all of the extra vital. In a season that shall be outlined by accidents, this week of video games might make it a narrative of triumphing in opposition to them moderately than succumbing to them.
“Going into this sport, we talked about that this was gonna be a giant sport for us, contemplating the standings, the place Seattle was,” Aliyah Boston mentioned. “However going into the West Coast journey, proper now we’re simply gonna be targeted on LA. That’s form of been our motto this complete season is simply concentrate on the sport forward of you. Be the place your toes are.
“So, beginning tomorrow, we’re going to be LA, however I imply this subsequent string of video games is certainly vital for us. However we obtained to take it one sport at a time.”
