Caitlin Clark and the Fever are playing with joy, and thats bad news for the rest of the WNBA
Remember when the |A|
Indiana Fever was the |B|
worst team in the |C|
league, and Caitlin Clark |D|
appeared to be headed |E|
toward a really difficult |F|
rookie season? Me neither. |G|
But |V| all great things take |Y| time to come together, |Z| and this version of the Indiana |A| Fever was certainly worth |B| the wait. The Fever |C| have won three consecutive |D| games and are 13-6 |E| in their last 19 |F| games. They currently have |G| the 6th seed — |H| and are a .500 |J| team for the first |K| time since 2016.
“It |L| feels good to be |M| sitting at .500 right |O| now,” Fever head coach |P| Christie Sides said after |Q| the team blew out |R| the Chicago Sky on |S| Friday. “Its been a |U| really long time since |V| the Fever sat at |Y| .500. Im just really |Z| proud of that and |A| where we are from |B| where we started.”
Caitlin |C| Clark scored a career-high |D| 31 points in that |E| one, and Kelsey Mitchell |F| continued her stellar play. |G| The road win in |H| Chicago came just two |J| days after a clutch-time |K| victory over the veteran |L| Connecticut Sun, in which |M| Mitchell led the way |O| with 23.
“For me, |P| just the maturity and |Q| the toughness that my |R| players showed tonight was |S| just incredible,” Sides said |U| after Wednesdays win against |V| the Sun. “Were watching |Y| them just grow up |Z| — from where we |A| started to where they |B| are now.”
Caitlin Clark |C| and Kelsey Mitchell have |D| become the best backcourt |E| in the WNBA
Theres |F| no other way to |G| put it — Caitlin |H| Clark has been spectacular |J| of late. Over the |K| last 10 games, shes |L| been the third-leading scorer |M| in the WNBA, averaging |O| 23.4 points on 46.3% |P| shooting. Shes also averaging |Q| a league-best 10.2 assists |R| per game in that |S| span.
Meanwhile, Kelsey Mitchell, |U| Clarks backcourt mate, has |V| been even more on fire — |Y| shes the leagues fourth |Z| leading scorer over the |A| last 10 games, averaging |B| 22.8 points on a |C| scorching 51.5% shooting. Shes |D| scored at least 20 |E| points in six straight |F| games, setting a new |G| franchise record.
The only |H| two players who have |J| outscored Clark and Mitchell |K| during that span are |L| Aja Wilson and Breanna |M| Stewart — two all-time |O| greats who each have |P| two MVP trophies under |Q| their belt.
It hasnt |R| always been smooth sailing |S| for Kelsey Mitchell, but |U| Christie Sides praised her |V| leadership and presence in |Y| the locker room. Its |Z| Mitchells seventh year in |A| Indiana, but shes never |B| made the playoffs — |C| or come particularly close.
|D| dir="ltr">“Kelsey Mitchell is just |E| the most unbelievable professional |F| athlete that I mightve |G| ever been around,” Sides |H| said. “She might not |J| be happy all the |K| time about certain things, |L| but she is going |M| to show up every |O| single day.”
This year, |P| her veteran presence and |Q| consistent scoring has had |R| a monumental impact on |S| a young roster.
“She |U| was somebody that was |V| right on the sideline, |Y| coaching us, talking to |Z| us, especially for myself |A| as a rookie coming |B| in here, like she |C| was always a very |D| positive voice in there |E| and very supportive,” Clark |F| said. “And for me, |G| that makes you feel |H| very welcome coming in |J| as a rookie and |K| getting to play with |L| somebody thats been really, |M| really good for this |O| organization. So I just |P| feel very lucky and |Q| fortunate, because I know |R| thats not every situation |S| for a rookie. Im |U| just very thankful.”
Lexie |V| Hull and Aliyah Boston |Y| have also starred in |Z| their roles
When a |A|
team turns things around |B|
the way the Fever |C|
have, its typically the |D|
result of more than |E|
just the strong play |F|
of two players. Lexie |G|
Hull, who was barely |H|
in the rotation early |J|
on, has been a |K|
mid-season revelation — shes |L|
hit 17 of her |M|
last 24 three-pointers, and |O|
can always be counted |P|
on to dive on |Q|
the floor for a |R|
loose ball or help |S|
secure a critical defensive |U|
stop.
“Lexie stayed locked in |V|
and ready to go |Y|
when her number was |Z|
called,” Sides said after |A|
the Sun win. “Shes |B|
just done everything that |C|
we needed to do |D|
to get these wins |E|
and to be successful.”
|F| dir="ltr">Then theres Aliyah Boston, |G| last years unanimous Rookie |H| of the Year. Boston |J| averaged 13.6 points on |K| 54.1% shooting over the |L| last 10 games of |M| the season, and has |O| helped draw in defenders |P| to open things up |Q| for her star teammates. |R| She held Sun All-Star |S| center Brionna Jones to |U| just two points on |V| Wednesday, and similarly helped |Y| limit the Skys frontcourt |Z| of Kamilla Cardoso (6 |A| points on 1-4 FG) |B| and Angel Reese (10 |C| points, 4-9 FG).
“AB |D| is that dominant post |E| player that kind of |F| gets everything loosened up |G| for the outside because |H| if we get her |J| touches, theyre going to |K| collapse on her,” Sides |L| said. “And if they |M| dont, great — thats |O| great for her, thats |P| great for us.”
Could |Q| the Fever contend for |R| a championship?
The Fever |S| went from hoping to |U| avoid being the worst |V| team in the league |Y| to the sixth seed |Z| in a matter of |A| just a few months. |B| Over the past 10 |C| games, theyre tied for |D| the second-best record in |E| the league with the |F| Minnesota Lynx, at 7-3. |G| Over the past 5 |H| games, they have the |J| highest point-differential.
A championship |K| is probably still a |L| reach, but the Fever |M| have racked up some |O| meaningful wins during that |P| stretch — and have |Q| demonstrated that different players |R| will step up for |S| Indiana in different moments.
|U| dir="ltr">After the win against |V| the Sun — who |Y| entered the game the |Z| second-best team in the |A| league— Lexie Hull made |B| clear that the groups |C| confidence has no bounds.
|D| dir="ltr">“Were taking every game |E| as it comes, one |F| at a time, and |G| to get a win |H| tonight, some people might |J| count this game off |K| for us, but I |L| know we came in |M| really motivated, really excited |O| and believing that we |P| could get the dub,” |Q| Hull said. “Just really |R| proud of how our |S| group kind of stayed |U| together throughout all four |V| quarters.”
The improvement has |Y| been undeniable even to |Z| their fiercest opponents.
“They |A| have a lot more |B| experience now — playing |C| a lot harder, more |D| comfortable,” Alyssa Thomas said |E| after the Sun fell |F| to the Fever for |G| the first time this |H| season.
Related
WNBA Coach |J| of the Year praises |K| Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever: |L| “They dont fear anyone”
|M| dir="ltr">The offensive connectivity has |O| come, the defense has |P| improved, and Mitchell and |Q| Clark have learned to |R| play together at a |S| rapid pace. But perhaps |U| more important to the |V| Fevers long term success |Y| — theyre playing with |Z| a completely different emotion: |A| joy.
“Joy is something |B| that we couldnt find |C| a lot early,” said |D| Sides. “And I have |E| preached that from the |F| beginning, that youve got |G| to have fun playing |H| this game, and youve |J| got to have that |K| joy is so important. |L| When we came out |M| of the Olympic break |O| and won those two |P| games, it was a |Q| different feel out there. |R| And thats what we |S| talked about — theres |U| this joy, theres this |V| excitement, and its created |Y| this new different feeling |Z| around our team.”
Anyone |A| who tunes into a |B| Fever basketball game can |C| see it. The only |D| question remaining is how |E| far that joy will |F| take them.
.png)
