Caitlin Clark and the Fever are playing with joy, and thats bad news for the rest of the WNBA
Remember when the worst team in the.
Indiana Fever was the league, and Caitlin Clark.
worst team in the appeared to be headed.
league, and Caitlin Clark toward a really difficult.
appeared to be headed rookie season? Me neither..
toward a really difficult The Fever began their.
rookie season? Me neither. season 1-8 and seemed.
But things take time to. all great things take come together, and this. time to come together, version of the Indiana. and this version of the Indiana Fever was certainly worth. Fever was certainly worth the wait. The Fever. the wait. The Fever have won three consecutive. have won three consecutive games and are 13-6. games and are 13-6 in their last 19. in their last 19 games. They currently have. games. They currently have the 6th seed —. the 6th seed — and are a .500. and are a .500 team for the first. team for the first time since 2016. “It. time since 2016.
“It feels good to be. feels good to be sitting at .500 right. sitting at .500 right now,” Fever head coach. now,” Fever head coach Christie Sides said after. Christie Sides said after the team blew out. the team blew out the Chicago Sky on. the Chicago Sky on Friday. “Its been a. Friday. “Its been a really long time since. really long time since the Fever sat at. the Fever sat at .500. Im just really. .500. Im just really proud of that and. proud of that and where we are from. where we are from where we started.” Caitlin. where we started.”
Caitlin Clark scored a career-high. Clark scored a career-high 31 points in that. 31 points in that one, and Kelsey Mitchell. one, and Kelsey Mitchell continued her stellar play.. continued her stellar play. The road win in. The road win in Chicago came just two. Chicago came just two days after a clutch-time. days after a clutch-time victory over the veteran. victory over the veteran Connecticut Sun, in which. Connecticut Sun, in which Mitchell led the way. Mitchell led the way with 23. “For me,. with 23.
“For me, just the maturity and. just the maturity and the toughness that my. the toughness that my players showed tonight was. players showed tonight was just incredible,” Sides said. just incredible,” Sides said after Wednesdays win against. after Wednesdays win against the Sun. “Were watching. the Sun. “Were watching them just grow up. them just grow up — from where we. — from where we started to where they. started to where they are now.” Caitlin Clark. are now.”
Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell have. and Kelsey Mitchell have become the best backcourt. become the best backcourt in the WNBA Theres. in the WNBA
Theres no other way to. no other way to put it — Caitlin. put it — Caitlin Clark has been spectacular. Clark has been spectacular of late. Over the. of late. Over the last 10 games, shes. last 10 games, shes been the third-leading scorer. been the third-leading scorer in the WNBA, averaging. in the WNBA, averaging 23.4 points on 46.3%. 23.4 points on 46.3% shooting. Shes also averaging. shooting. Shes also averaging a league-best 10.2 assists. a league-best 10.2 assists per game in that. per game in that span. Meanwhile, Kelsey Mitchell,. span.
Meanwhile, Kelsey Mitchell, Clarks backcourt mate, has. Clarks backcourt mate, has been even more on. been even more on fire — fire — shes the. shes the leagues fourth leagues fourth leading scorer. leading scorer over the over the last 10. last 10 games, averaging games, averaging 22.8 points. 22.8 points on a on a scorching 51.5%. scorching 51.5% shooting. Shes shooting. Shes scored at. scored at least 20 least 20 points in. points in six straight six straight games, setting. games, setting a new a new franchise record.. franchise record.
The only The only two players. two players who have who have outscored Clark. outscored Clark and Mitchell and Mitchell during that. during that span are span are Aja Wilson. Aja Wilson and Breanna and Breanna Stewart —. Stewart — two all-time two all-time greats who. greats who each have each have two MVP. two MVP trophies under trophies under their belt.. their belt.
It hasnt It hasnt always been. always been smooth sailing smooth sailing for Kelsey. for Kelsey Mitchell, but Mitchell, but Christie Sides. Christie Sides praised her praised her leadership and. leadership and presence in presence in the locker. the locker room. Its room. Its Mitchells seventh. Mitchells seventh year in year in Indiana, but. Indiana, but shes never shes never made the. made the playoffs — playoffs — or come. or come particularly close.
particularly close. “Kelsey Mitchell. dir="ltr">“Kelsey Mitchell is just is just the most. the most unbelievable professional unbelievable professional athlete that. athlete that I mightve I mightve ever been. ever been around,” Sides around,” Sides said. “She. said. “She might not might not be happy. be happy all the all the time about. time about certain things, certain things, but she. but she is going is going to show. to show up every up every single day.”. single day.”
This year, This year, her veteran. her veteran presence and presence and consistent scoring. consistent scoring has had has had a monumental. a monumental impact on impact on a young. a young roster.
“She roster. “She was somebody. was somebody that was that was right on. right on the sideline, the sideline, coaching us,. coaching us, talking to talking to us, especially. us, especially for myself for myself as a. as a rookie coming rookie coming in here,. in here, like she like she was always. was always a very a very positive voice. positive voice in there in there and very. and very supportive,” Clark supportive,” Clark said. “And. said. “And for me, for me, that makes. that makes you feel you feel very welcome. very welcome coming in coming in as a. as a rookie and rookie and getting to. getting to play with play with somebody thats. somebody thats been really, been really, really good. really good for this for this organization. So. organization. So I just I just feel very. feel very lucky and lucky and fortunate, because. fortunate, because I know I know thats not. thats not every situation every situation for a. for a rookie. Im rookie. Im just very. just very thankful.”
Lexie thankful.” Lexie Hull and. Hull and Aliyah Boston Aliyah Boston have also. have also starred in starred in their roles. their roles
When a When a team turns.
team turns things around things around the way.
the way the Fever the Fever have, its.
have, its typically the typically the result of.
result of more than more than just the.
just the strong play strong play of two.
of two players. Lexie players. Lexie Hull, who.
Hull, who was barely was barely in the.
in the rotation early rotation early on, has.
on, has been a been a mid-season revelation.
mid-season revelation — shes — shes hit 17.
hit 17 of her of her last 24.
last 24 three-pointers, and three-pointers, and can always.
can always be counted be counted on to.
on to dive on dive on the floor.
the floor for a for a loose ball.
loose ball or help or help secure a.
secure a critical defensive critical defensive stop. “Lexie.
stop.
“Lexie stayed locked in stayed locked in and.
and ready to go ready to go when.
when her number was her number was called,”.
called,” Sides said after Sides said after the.
the Sun win. “Shes Sun win. “Shes just.
just done everything that done everything that we.
we needed to do needed to do to.
to get these wins get these wins and.
and to be successful.”
to be successful.” Then. dir="ltr">Then theres Aliyah Boston, theres Aliyah Boston, last. last years unanimous Rookie years unanimous Rookie of. of the Year. Boston the Year. Boston averaged. averaged 13.6 points on 13.6 points on 54.1%. 54.1% shooting over the shooting over the last. last 10 games of 10 games of the. the season, and has season, and has helped. helped draw in defenders draw in defenders to. to open things up open things up for. for her star teammates. her star teammates. She. She held Sun All-Star held Sun All-Star center. center Brionna Jones to Brionna Jones to just. just two points on two points on Wednesday,. Wednesday, and similarly helped and similarly helped limit. limit the Skys frontcourt the Skys frontcourt of. of Kamilla Cardoso (6 Kamilla Cardoso (6 points. points on 1-4 FG) on 1-4 FG) and. and Angel Reese (10 Angel Reese (10 points,. points, 4-9 FG).
“AB 4-9 FG). “AB is. is that dominant post that dominant post player. player that kind of that kind of gets. gets everything loosened up everything loosened up for. for the outside because the outside because if. if we get her we get her touches,. touches, theyre going to theyre going to collapse. collapse on her,” Sides on her,” Sides said.. said. “And if they “And if they dont,. dont, great — thats great — thats great. great for her, thats for her, thats great. great for us.”
Could for us.” Could the. the Fever contend for Fever contend for a. a championship?
The Fever championship? The Fever went. went from hoping to from hoping to avoid. avoid being the worst being the worst team. team in the league in the league to. to the sixth seed the sixth seed in. in a matter of a matter of just. just a few months. a few months. Over. Over the past 10 the past 10 games,. games, theyre tied for theyre tied for the. the second-best record in second-best record in the. the league with the league with the Minnesota. Minnesota Lynx, at 7-3. Lynx, at 7-3. Over. Over the past 5 the past 5 games,. games, they have the they have the highest. highest point-differential.
A championship point-differential. A championship is. is probably still a probably still a reach,. reach, but the Fever but the Fever have. have racked up some racked up some meaningful. meaningful wins during that wins during that stretch. stretch — and have — and have demonstrated. demonstrated that different players that different players will. will step up for step up for Indiana. Indiana in different moments.
in different moments. After. dir="ltr">After the win against the win against the. the Sun — who Sun — who entered. entered the game the the game the second-best. second-best team in the team in the league—. league— Lexie Hull made Lexie Hull made clear. clear that the groups that the groups confidence. confidence has no bounds.
has no bounds. “Were. dir="ltr">“Were taking every game taking every game as. as it comes, one it comes, one at. at a time, and a time, and to. to get a win get a win tonight,. tonight, some people might some people might count. count this game off this game off for. for us, but I us, but I know. know we came in we came in really. really motivated, really excited motivated, really excited and. and believing that we believing that we could. could get the dub,” get the dub,” Hull. Hull said. “Just really said. “Just really proud. proud of how our of how our group. group kind of stayed kind of stayed together. together throughout all four throughout all four quarters.”. quarters.”
The improvement has The improvement has been. been undeniable even to undeniable even to their. their fiercest opponents.
“They fiercest opponents. “They have. have a lot more a lot more experience. experience now — playing now — playing a. a lot harder, more lot harder, more comfortable,”. comfortable,” Alyssa Thomas said Alyssa Thomas said after. after the Sun fell the Sun fell to. to the Fever for the Fever for the. the first time this first time this season.. season.
Related
WNBA Coach Related WNBA Coach of. of the Year praises the Year praises Caitlin. Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever: Clark, Indiana Fever: “They. “They dont fear anyone”
dont fear anyone” The. dir="ltr">The offensive connectivity has offensive connectivity has come,. come, the defense has the defense has improved,. improved, and Mitchell and and Mitchell and Clark. Clark have learned to have learned to play. play together at a together at a rapid. rapid pace. But perhaps pace. But perhaps more. more important to the important to the Fevers. Fevers long term success long term success —. — theyre playing with theyre playing with a. a completely different emotion: completely different emotion: joy.. joy.
“Joy is something “Joy is something that. that we couldnt find we couldnt find a. a lot early,” said lot early,” said Sides.. Sides. “And I have “And I have preached. preached that from the that from the beginning,. beginning, that youve got that youve got to. to have fun playing have fun playing this. this game, and youve game, and youve got. got to have that to have that joy. joy is so important. is so important. When. When we came out we came out of. of the Olympic break the Olympic break and. and won those two won those two games,. games, it was a it was a different. different feel out there. feel out there. And. And thats what we thats what we talked. talked about — theres about — theres this. this joy, theres this joy, theres this excitement,. excitement, and its created and its created this. this new different feeling new different feeling around. around our team.”
Anyone our team.” Anyone who. who tunes into a tunes into a Fever. Fever basketball game can basketball game can see. see it. The only it. The only question. question remaining is how remaining is how far. far that joy will that joy will take. take them.
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