INDIANAPOLIS — The Fever would have by no means predicted in the beginning of the season that they’d be on this place in late August.
The expectation coming into the yr was that they might be competing on the prime of the standings. As an alternative, heading into Tuesday’s recreation 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 great distance in deciding the destiny of the Fever’s postseason hopes. Indiana is at the moment battling the aforementioned Storm, the Sparks and the Valkyries for the ultimate three spots within the playoffs.
These three groups make up the following three video games on Indiana’s schedule within the coming week. It’s a very powerful stretch of the season for the Fever, they usually began it off in one of the simplest ways attainable.
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 stated postgame. “I imply, each recreation 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 constantly in a very long time. I’m happy 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 recreation up on the Sparks for the eighth and closing 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 most interesting 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 night time.
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 document for factors.
Indiana was dominant in about each means within the win, highlighted by profitable the rebounding battle 42-21 and outscoring the Storm in second likelihood factors 22-4.
However as necessary as Tuesday’s victory was, it’ll 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 group postgame was that there’s nonetheless work to be finished.
“This one felt good,” Sims stated. “The togetherness that we have now offensively and defensively as a bunch actually confirmed our development. We’re going to take this momentum into our subsequent recreation and…we’re going to take it one recreation 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 Might, however they nonetheless should handle the one they’re in. A robust week from the Fever received’t assure a playoff berth, however it’ll make it a far simpler feat to perform.
Indiana’s upcoming highway journey with embrace 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 dwelling and finish the yr 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 group which 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 necessary. In a season that can be outlined by accidents, this week of video games might make it a narrative of triumphing in opposition to them reasonably than succumbing to them.
“Going into this recreation, we talked about that this was gonna be a giant recreation for us, contemplating the standings, the place Seattle was,” Aliyah Boston stated. “However going into the West Coast journey, proper now we’re simply gonna be centered on LA. That’s type of been our motto this whole season is simply concentrate on the sport forward of you. Be the place your ft are.
“So, beginning tomorrow, we’re going to be LA, however I imply this subsequent string of video games is unquestionably necessary for us. However we obtained to take it one recreation at a time.”
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