The Indiana Fever extended their unbeaten streak to 7 consecutive wins with a thrilling 106-92 victory over the New York Liberty on Tuesday night.
The Fever's Caitlin Clark took advantage of a sagging defender and drilled a 27-footer just 15 seconds into the game, setting the tone for the rest of the night. Clark, who leads the league in assists (8.2) and is fourth in scoring (21.7), said she felt sick hearing the smattering of fans at Gainbridge who booed their head coach.
The Fever's head coach, Stephanie White, made headlines earlier in the week with a fiery pre-game statement in response to criticism she faced over her handling of a recent Flagrant 2 Foul committed by Chicago Sky wing DiJonai Carrington on Sophie Cunningham. White stood by her players, saying "I stand by them, I will always stand by them," and called out critics who she felt were hijacking the league for their own purposes.
The Fever's players rallied around their coach, with Clark saying, "I can assure you, there was no way we were losing this game tonight… We really just did it for her. We did it for each other and the girls in our locker room." The team's focus on basketball paid off, with Kelsey Mitchell extending her record streak of 20-plus point games to 17 and Clark adding to her career double-double mark with 22 points and 10 assists.
The box score rarely fails to showcase the embarrassment of riches White coaches every day. Mitchell led all scorers with 28 points, going 4 of 4 from the perimeter and 7 of 12 on 2s. Clark added to her career double-double mark with 22 points and 10 assists, drilling 4 of 8 3s.
The Fever's win keeps them in fourth place in the standings and gives them a crucial advantage in the playoffs. They'll look to build on this momentum when they face the Liberty again on August 22 in New York, leading the series 2-1.
The Fever's success on the court has been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding White, but it's clear that the team is focused on basketball. As White said, "We just want to try to keep the main thing… We need to focus on this group and how they're playing basketball right now, because they've been playing incredible basketball."
The Fever will continue to face challenges on and off the court, but for now, they're riding a hot streak. With their next game just around the corner, they'll look to keep their winning ways going and make a push for the top of the standings.
Source: Yahoo Sports