On July 25th, the WNBA tipped off at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The third game of the day was the Indiana Fever against the reigning champions, the Washington Mystics. The game was a tough fight in the first half, but the Mystics were no match for the Fever. The Mystics then defeated the Fever in their first game in the Wubble.
Mystics Dominate
Without Natasha Cloud and Elena Delle Donne, the Mystics had a change in the lineup. The Mystics also lost Kristi Toliver to free agency but picked up Tina Charles. Charles along with Cloud and EDD opted out of the 2020 season. In the post, the Mystics started Aerial Powers and Emma Meesseman. For the guards, the Mystics started Leilani Mitchell, a new addition from the Mercury, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Ariel Atkins.
The Mystics started feeding the ball to Meesseman early on in the game. She is a strong shooter and acted as the center for the Mystics during this game. She ended up with 14 PTS, 5 REB, 3 ASST, and 1 STL. Another leading scorer for the Mystics was Myisha Hines-Allen. Hines-Allen ended up with 27 PTS and 10 REB. She was a game-changing player for the Mystics since she stretched the floor and made three three-point shots. The final leading scorer was Aerial Powers. Powers ended up with 16 PTS and 5 REB.
The Mystics definitely utilized their post players as well as their guards. Washington ended up scoring 101 points in their season opener. The Mystics only had 10 players, but we were able to play of their players. All the players were able to contribute in one way or another. If the Mystics keep driving to the basket and stretching the floor, they should be set. The Mystics will definitely continue to be the team to beat. The Mystics then defeated the Fever in the season opener.
Room for Improvement for the Fever
The Indiana Fever have a similar team in comparison to last year. The Fever now have a new coach, Marianne Stanley, with an impressive record. Indiana started Candice Dupree and Natalie Achonwa in the post. For the guards, they started Kelsey Mitchell, Julie Allemand, and Tiffany Mitchell. They also had to return the talented, Victora Vivians, who sat out last season with an injury. Lauren Cox was drafted by the Fever, but her playing status is still unclear. Erica Wheeler is also not present in the Wubble as well.
The Fever had a shorter lineup in comparison to the Mystics. The Fever started 6’3″ post, Natalie Achonwa, but she was no match for Meesseman. Off the bench, the Fever had 6’7″ Teaira McCowan. Leading scorers for the Fever include Kelsey Mitchell, Tiffany Mitchell, and Candice Dupree. Kelsey Mitchell had 25 PTS and 3 ASST. Tiffany Mitchell had 15 PTS, 3 REB, and 2 ASST. Candice Dupree had 13 PTS and 3 REB. The Fever definitely utilized these three players.
Although the Fever had key players, these players were no match for the reigning champions. This Fever team has the potential to be great. If the Fever were to utilize their post players more and stretch the floor they would be able to compete with teams like the Mystics. Although the Fever is currently missing players like Wheeler and Cox, they need to find their key players and expand on them. The Fever definitely has room to improve and use all their guard talent to their advantage.
Recap
The final score from Bradenton, Florida was 101-76. The Mystics defeated the Fever with ease despite their change in their team. Indiana struggled to find their rhythm but they have room to improve throughout the season. I am looking forward to seeing both teams improve and play throughout the rest of the season.
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