As the WNBA season entered its sixth week, the Indiana Fever began on a much-awaited winning streak. They found wins in two consecutive games, triumphing over some of the league's lower-ranked teams. These victories were much needed and set the stage for their upcoming battles against the top teams the following week, a series of games that would undoubtedly be a true test of their mettle.
The face-off between the Fever and the Chicago Sky made headlines, mainly due to the fierce rivalry between rookies Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The game was a battleground of skills and determination, culminating in a dramatic ending that left fans on the edge of their seats.
What also made the headlines were the questions directed toward Indiana head coach Christie Sides and her controversial decisions throughout the season, more specifically during the Chicago game. Many believe that Clark has not been utilized properly, especially in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. The plays that are being drawn up and played on the floor don’t have Clark touching the ball or setting her up to take a shot, and fans speak out about their beliefs and question why Sides would draw this up.
The early voting results for the WNBA All-Stars were released during the week, and both Clark and Aliyah Boston made the top spots. Clark scored 216,427 votes, coming in at No. 2 behind A’ja Wilson. Boston was right behind Clark, with 171,864 votes in the No. 3 slot. A combination of voting from fans, current WNBA players, and the media picks the All-Stars.
June 19: Washington Mystics at Indiana
88-81 Fever
The two stars of the game were Kelsey Mitchell and Boston, who scored 22 points apiece in a win that the Fever needed to have over the worst team in the league right now. The win also gave Indiana its first four-game winning streak at home since August 2015.
Clark had a career-high 12 rebounds along with 18 points, six assists and four steals. She did rack up six turnovers. NaLyssa Smith had 11 points, and Erica Wheeler had nine points off the bench in the second half.
Washington was missing key players, including two starters. But Ariel Atkins had 27 points to lead the Mystics.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Fever led by nine points until Washington’s 9-2 run pulled within two points. However, Wheeler responded with a jumper, followed by Clark's steal, which turned into a layup for Mitchell. Indiana's defense then locked down, and they were able to find Clark on the other end for a 3. Then, all of a sudden, it was back to a nine-point lead with five minutes left.
Boston also hit a rare but big 3-pointer in the third quarter to add to the lead, marking her fourth of the season.
Wheeler had a big second half, but her pull-up jumper with three minutes left to push the lead to 11 was a momentum moment for the Fever. Indiana never trailed in the game and shot 55% from the field. The Fever defense also showed major improvements, forcing the Mystics to shoot 0-for-8 from 3-point range in the first quarter—except they then made six in the second. But they still controlled the long-range shooting, as Washington went 32% from 3-point range.
June 21: Indiana at Atlanta Dream
91-79 Fever
Yet again, the Fever played in front of a record-breaking crowd of fans against the Dream — 17,575 fans at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. This set a franchise record for single-home game attendance and blew by the 11,609 who saw the Dream’s game against the Detroit Shock in 2008 at Philips Arena (the former name of State Farm Arena). The Dream's usual court is at Gateway Center Arena, which has a capacity of just 3,500.
But before the game, Dream star Rhyne Howard was announced out due to a lower leg injury. Indiana took advantage of the team without its star and scored a season-high 25 first-quarter points for a 10-point lead while also shooting 70% from the field.
Smith had 21 points and nine rebounds, continuing her breakout season for the Fever. Clark had 16 points and seven assists, Mitchell had 18 points, and Boston racked up another double-double with 10 rebounds and points plus three blocks.
The Fever cruised the entire game, but more so in the second half. Clark led the Fever in an 11-3 run to end the third quarter, which included her fourth 3-pointer of the game and Indiana's 10th. They continued to thrive in the fourth quarter, ultimately leading to their 12-point victory.
Tina Charles for the Dream scored a season-high 24 points for her 37th career 20-point game. The next game, in which Fever travels to Atlanta, will also be played at State Farm Arena on Aug. 26 due to the high ticket demand.
June 23: Indiana at Chicago Sky
88-87 Sky
Headed into the game against the Sky, the Fever were rolling on a four-game winning streak. It was also another matchup between Clark and Reese, which did not disappoint. In the past decade, for the WNBA, it was the hottest ticket as an entry to the game was going for $351 on average.
Reese scored a career-high 25 points and also grabbed 16 rebounds, marking her eighth consecutive game with a double-double. The No. 3 overall pick Kamilla Cardoso also had a double-double of her own with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Chennedy Carter also contributed 23 points with five assists.
Clark played the entire game and finished with 17 points and a franchise-record 13 assists. She shot 5-for-11 and 5-for-9 from long range with six rebounds and four steals. Mitchell led Indiana with 24 points, and Boston was behind with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Chicago trailed by 12 points with 6:38 left in the game until Reese found her spark. She had 10 points and five rebounds from that mark to start the Sky’s comeback to victory. At the 2:30 mark, the two teams traded off buckets. Carter and Cardoso each hit one of two from the charity stripe to make it a four-point game with 27 seconds left. Boston drilled a contested 3 with 19 seconds left before Marina Mabrey missed two free throws. Clark got the loose ball rebound, but Indiana missed two shots in the final seconds, leading to a Sky win.
While the Fever had won the previous two matchups with Chicago, they had the opportunity to extend the streak but failed to because of a defensive breakdown. While the Sky had 15 turnovers in the game, Indiana had just nine. The Fever struggled to get rebounds as the Sky outrebounded them 69-49.
In a historic game for the Fever and Clark, as she set the Fever’s single-game assist record, the coaching of Sides came into question as not many plays were drawn towards Clark although she had been on the court for the entire game.
The Fever (7-11) will now travel to the West Coast for a three-game road trip. The first game against the Seattle Storm will be on Thursday, with tip-off at 10 p.m.
