INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever gained their third sport in a row with an 88-81 victory over the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Listed below are three observations:
We simply hold enhancing.’After brutal begin, Fever now again in playoff race
‘We really feel the power’:Fever give sellout crowd cause to cheer with 4th-straight residence win
Fever win third sport in a row, fifth in seven video games
The Indiana Fever are slowly, however absolutely, getting scorching within the WNBA.
After beginning the season at 2-9 with 11 video games in 20 days, the Fever have now gained 5 of their previous seven video games, and three in a row. Indiana is within the playoff race, sitting at eighth with a 6-10 file.
And so they’re approaching one thing they have not completed in 9 years: 4 straight wins.
Indiana final gained 4 in a row in 2015, when the Tulsa Shock nonetheless existed and Indiana legend Tamika Catchings was nonetheless taking part in. The Fever will go for 4 in a row Friday at Atlanta — a group they beat earlier this week,
Sure, all of their wins to date have come towards bottom-half groups within the WNBA, together with the Dream, Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics. However stacking wins is essential for a younger group just like the Fever, they usually’re doing it nicely.
Fever core 4 proceed to jell
For the second straight sport, every of Indiana’s high 4 gamers completed the sport in double-figures: Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchel every had 22, Caitlin Clark had 18 and NaLyssa Smith had 11. Whereas it is the second straight sport this has occurred, it is nonetheless simply the second time the Fever have been capable of get all of its stars — two No. 1 picks and two No. 2 picks — capable of jell collectively.
Clark and Boston’s pick-and-roll and post-entry sport can also be persevering with to develop: Boston began the sport 3-for-3 from the sector whereas Clark began with three assists. Clark flirted with a triple-double on Wednesday for the second consecutive sport too, ending with 16 factors, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.
With 11 video games in 20 days, the Fever had a tricky begin to the season with little relaxation and little apply time. Now, with 4 video games in 16 days, Indiana has had time to apply new offensive schemes and learn to work along with sport expertise to again it up.
Aliyah Boston showcases 3-point vary
Be careful, Fever second-year middle Aliyah Boston might change into a risk past the arc.
Boston got here to the Fever as a publish that performed practically all the time within the paint, however she wanted to have a minimum of considerably of a 3-point vary — in case of emergencies. She confirmed her 3-point vary final season in a July sport towards the Liberty — a last-second 3-pointer tied the rating, forcing time beyond regulation towards a high WNBA group. That point, she jumped into her teammates arms in celebration.
This yr, it is turning into extra regular for the reigning Japanese Convention Participant of the Week. Boston discovered herself open past the arc, received the ball, positioned her ft simply past the 3-point line, and launched the ball towards the online. Swish. The Fever bench jumped up in celebration as Boston casually ran again on protection.
This season, she’s 4-for-10 in her restricted makes an attempt past the arc. It is a new a part of her sport, and it is one thing that would change into a risk to opposing groups.
What number of factors did Caitlin Clark rating?
Caitlin Clark scored 18 factors and led the Fever in rebounding with 12 boards. She additionally added six assists with six turnovers.