From the outside looking in, the Indiana Fever’s first foray into the postseason since 2016 wasn’t a good one. They dropped game one against the Connecticut Sun by a 24-point decision but to the trained eye, they looked almost exactly how you would expect a team to look that sent out a starting five without a single minute of experience in the playoffs.
Guard Caitlin Clark, however, didn’t grade their efforts on such a curve:
“We were right there, I just felt like we played a crappy game. The flow of the game was really bad. … We struggled to get stops at times, the clock getting messed up, it was one thing after the next.”
Their first-half performance was a respectable one when they played Connecticut to a 46-38 deficit at halftime. Indiana did keep within striking distance in the third quarter. However, it was in the final frame that the game got out of hand.
making the adjustments 🛠 pic.twitter.com/P21uu253Fj
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 24, 2024
Converting just five field goals in the fourth, Indiana was outscored 25-12 as the opposition got hot from outside with four 3s. Connecticut made a living inside the arc with six makes as Marina Mabrey scored 20 of her 27 points in the second half.
While a fourth-quarter collapse may have doomed them in the end, it was death by a thousand cuts. This is an Indiana team that has thrived on capitalizing in transition this season. Yet, Indiana was limited to 9 points overall.
The Fever And Its Struggle On Defense Versus Connecticut
Furthermore, their inability to finish defensive possessions with a rebound made it difficult for Indiana to get an up-tempo offense started. The Fever gave up eight offensive boards and were forced into 13 turnovers, resulting in 16 points for Connecticut.
Indiana averaged 18 turnovers a game in their prior contests played against Connecticut this season.
Moving forward from an offensive standpoint, Indiana can start by solving their latest conundrum. This comes in the defensive switch-up of DeWanna Bonner on Clark and DiJonai Carrington covering Kelsey Mitchell.
The Bonner on Clark defensive assignment is a new look that Connecticut has given Indiana this postseason. For Carrington, she’s covering anyone is sure to provide headaches for every offensive player.
Last Sunday, the duo of Clark-Mitchell, one of the best tandems in the league post-Olympic break, shot a combined 13 for 37 from the field while going 4 for 23 from three.
"We're excited for the challenge."
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 25, 2024
Lexie Hull talks about the excitement and opportunity to force a Game 3 at home. pic.twitter.com/kHmA2FKCp7
Shooting woes aside, head coach Christie Sides is confident her team won’t have a repeat performance offensively on Wednesday night:
“They were going to make adjustments. They were going to change up their schemes and matchups. We talked about getting the matchups that we wanted and would be helpful for us. … These guys are going to shoot the ball a lot better on Wednesday and I think that’s going to make a huge difference.”
Game Two of the series is on Wednesday, September 25th at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Fever looks to tie the series.
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