After sitting idle at the trade deadline, the Indiana Fever find themselves in a bit of a backcourt pinch. Both Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald went down with injuries on that very day, and the absence is glaring. Case in point: the disorganized offense in the game against Dallas. Coach Stephanie White hadn’t shied away from directing the blame there. But the schedule isn’t getting easier here on, and Caitlin Clark hasn’t even started practice. For Kelly Krauskopf and Amber Cox, that meant making a move.
In order to fill the giant gaps in Indiana’s backcourt, the front office signed Kyra Lambert, an overseas professional who most recently played for Olympiacos SFP, to a seven-day contract. Standing at five-foot-nine, Lambert is an excellent shooter and a clean facilitator, who averaged 15.4 points while shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc, and dishing 6.3 assists per game. But where does she stand in front of the Fever’s original, injury-ridden, backcourt? That’s a tough one.
Out of the Clark, Mitchell, Cunningham, and McDonald rotation, only two are still completely healthy. Kelsey Mitchell has been putting up some impressive stats in Caitlin Clark’s absence, while Cunningham has continued to do what she does best: Hustle and protect. While the team has signed Odyssey Sims as an injury replacement, the Indiana Fever is sorely missing Caitlin Clark and Aari McDonald, and it shows. Lambert’s pickup is viewed as a short-term fix to a long-term crisis, but it might not be all bad!
According to head coach Stephanie White, Kyra Lambert was putting in the work even before her first practice. “She’s studying what we’re doing. Studying how we’ve played opponents on both ends, what we’ve done to attack, what we’ve done on the defensive end,” White said, shining light on the young star’s work ethic. She even threw a pretty neat comparison in there! “You know, she reminds me a little bit of Aari [McDonald] when she came in and already had some of the playbook down.”
When McDonald came in, her first order of business was to study hours of film, constantly question coach Austin Kelly, and familiarize herself with the system. That paid off for the young guard. She helped snap the team’s losing streak, had a career-high 27-point piece, and contributed to bringing home the Commissioner’s Cup. In learning the Fever’s way, McDonald’s high IQ stood out, something coach White misses. But in Lambert, she is gaining what the team desperately needs: quickness.
“She’s got some speed and quickness as well. All of those things are what we need and what we miss without having Aari on the floor as well,” the coach added. That’s the identity the Fever has chosen this season, and without Clark initially, and then McDonald, the pace wavered. But with Mitchell holding down the fort, this recent move might just keep them on track.
While the Fever has only signed Lambert to a seven-day contract, an extension is definitely on the table if she does well. After all, McDonald and Colson are out for the season, and Scott Agness says, “Have patience. At least several more weeks,” in the most recent update regarding Caitlin Clark. So, Indiana will need someone to run the point. And what does the WNBA newcomer have to say about her first shot at the league?
Caitlin Clark’s newest teammate gets candid about WNBA opportunity
Here’s a fact: With 12 roster spots, making the league is next to impossible. So when Kyra Lambert, after years of grinding away in college and overseas ball, finally got the call from Indiana? It was something special. The five-foot-nine point guard wasn’t the biggest name in college. She played five years at Duke, battling injuries aplenty, and spent her last year in Texas.
Afterwards, when it looked like the WNBA wasn’t in her near future, Lambert improvised. She went overseas, playing in France, Latvia, New Zealand, Turkey, Slovakia, and most recently, Greece. Everywhere that Kyra Lambert went, she proved that she belonged. And now that she’s headed to Indiana? Nothing less is expected.
“This means everything,” Lambert said to Brian Haenchen from the IndyStar. “I’m super excited. It’s a blessing, you know, having the journey that I’ve had. I’ve just been remaining faithful, trusting God, and doing the work. To see it all come back around and pay off with this opportunity is awesome… I’m really excited to be here.”
Without a doubt, the Fever guard has seen the highs and the lows that basketball has to offer. This moment, however, would mask a lot. It will be interesting to see how Lambert does in this career-defining opportunity for her.
The post Indiana Fever HC Gives Honest Assessment of Crisis Response After Caitlin Clark’s Injury appeared first on EssentiallySports.
