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WASHINGTON — Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides may not have outright said so, but Friday night’s game at the Washington Mystics was a must-win. Caitlin Clark and the Fever put themselves there.
Indiana’s 2-9 record in the opening 20 days of the regular season, without marquee wins over league powerhouses like the New York Liberty, the Connecticut Sun, and the Las Vegas Aces put into question how this younger team would fare versus experience. If the Fever then lost to an 0-10 Mystics team, which has two rookies in the starting lineup, that may as well trigger Defcon 1.
“No, we want to win every game man,” Sides said, chuckling, on if Friday felt like a must-win. “Like, we show up to win every single game, period. Give credit to Washington, they hit some big shots… we had our record with threes, but I mean, they hit some big shots late. Then we gotta be able to hit our free throws late in the game to seal the deal.”
How Caitlin Clark and the Fever pulled out the win, barely
The Fever began with brilliant offensive connectivity, especially with their speedy guards Kelsey Mitchell and Erica Wheeler in transition. But the team’s defense, which Sides said they worked on in practice this week, didn’t arrive until the waning minutes of the first quarter. Not until the Fever’s 10-0 run, accompanied by three Washington turnovers and two Caitlin Clark steals.
Alas, the Fever later didn’t score for seven minutes in the second quarter. Their nine-point lead shrunk to two by halftime. Identically, the Fever led by two points after the third quarter and won by that margin 85-83, with late-game dramatics over missed free throws and futile possessions in crunch time. Clark eventually put the team on her back, with five 3-pointers in the second half.
Clark ended with seven made baskets beyond the arc, becoming only the fourth rookie to do so all-time and the first since Crystal Robinson back in 1999.
Also, Friday’s announced attendance was 20,333 in the Washington Wizards' Capital One Arena, which was the most-attended Fever game this season and for the WNBA since 2007. The Mystics moved this contest to COA mere days after April’s draft.
The consequential collision course
The Fever had nowhere to hide. They were rewarded with four days without games after the 11-game, 20-day sprint with two back-to-backs. They seemed sluggish and tired. Mitchell and NaLyssa Smith welcomed the idea of sleeping in (back in Brooklyn). The Fever didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday and ate dinner together. Sides said she told the team they looked rested.
Before Friday, Washington played 10 games in 23 days and somewhat mimicked the Fever’s every-other-day gameday schedule. The Mystics were also on the second leg of their debut back-to-back Friday night, so it was their turn to be less-rested. The Fever have been able to stand by the fact that they’re inexperienced and so busy, without much practice time to improve.
“In this league, experience is really everything,” Clark said. “It helps a great amount. And we’re trying to navigate that obviously. Me and AB [Boston], we’re only in our first and second years. Lys [Smith] is in her third year. Wally [Kristy Wallace] is in her third year. It can just be tough at times.”
They couldn’t really stand by that had they lost. They got the days off, they got the practice time. They were now more evenly matched in terms of experience with the Mystics than the Liberty and the Sun. All teams have poor games here and there, but the trade-off for it being all right in the end is above-par results.
The Fever don’t have that, albeit for reasonable reasons, but still.
Where the Fever go from here
This article could’ve easily gone both ways. Friday came down to Washington’s final possession and being late to the buzzer. Wins are wins, but the two-point margin on the road at the worst team in the league can be concerning for the Fever’s hopes going forward.
Sure, Caitlin Clark is improving day by day, and Mitchell and Wheeler also played terrific minutes. But they gotta beat the vets.
It’s not all rounded out yet. Friday was the glimpse that Wheeler, last season’s starting point guard for the Fever, could come in and supply impactful minutes right beside Clark. Mitchell’s efficiency got better, and so did Clark’s. But the Mystics rarely blitzed Clark on the perimeter. That or, the Fever’s screens were good enough. Veteran teams have blitzed Clark well so far.
At least with this win, the Fever (3-9) play with house money at Connecticut (9-0) Monday.
