This isn’t the first time the Indiana Fever has fallen to the Valkyries this regular season. And it sure isn’t the first time they’ve been the subject of a ‘bad body language’ narrative. Remember when the Fever took down the undefeated Liberty, 102–88, and the internet was busy reading between the lines? They picked up on Caitlin Clark, holding her arms out in exasperation, twice. It was because after missing a 3-pointer, Caitlin Clark was open for another look, though she didn’t get the ball back. That decision of Natasha Howard to hold on to the ball clearly bothered her. However, this time, Caitlin Clark isn’t the only one in the spotlight.
In fact, according to analyst Rachel DeMita, outside of her teammates Dantas, Colson, and Timpson, no other Indiana Fever player had what could be considered a “good game” against the Valkyries. It was because, “I also just noticed a lot of bad body language on the court, and it wasn’t just from one player. It was multiple players on the Fever,” said DeMita. She even listed out multiple reasons backing her claim.
In what was the Fever’s second-fewest points of the season, the struggle started right in the first quarter itself. While they managed to dominate the first quarter (23-21), the Valkyries killed even the Fever’s faintest hopes of winning from there on. Kelsey Mitchell was the only other starter on the Fever who scored double-digit points in the loss, where she shot just 3 of 13 from the field.
DeMita remarked, “They weren’t playing in sync, there was a lot of iso ball happening. There was a lot of selfish basketball being played, there were a lot of long twos.” She added that there were a lot of low-quality shots and that there’s a difference between a smart mid-range shot near the paint and one taken just a step inside the three-point line. DeMita added, “There were a lot of missed passes to the cutters.” All of this clearly left her “at a loss for words.” But players weren’t the only ones in the line of fire after tonight’s 61-80 loss.
She even called out HC Stephanie White’s decisions. DeMita opened with, “One other thing with the Indiana Fever is I didn’t understand the rotations at all. There were points in the game where the Indiana Fever had momentum, and then Coach Stephanie White would sub out certain players who were creating that momentum.” If you know Rachel DeMita, she always backs her analysis with examples. Here she pointed out the “time in the third quarter where the Indiana Fever made this big run.”
There, the Indiana Fever cut a double-digit deficit to within 3–5 points in the third quarter against the Valkyries. But once White subbed out Caitlin Clark, Golden State responded instantly with a 9–0 run. From there on, according to DeMita, “they were just off to the races, and they pretty much just foot on their neck.” It surely has been a disappointing watch, especially because, for the first time all season, the Indiana Fever had a clean injury report heading into the game. Naturally, the viewers were expecting an explosive lineup. But that’s not quite what they got.
Now, add to that the team shooting just 30.9 percent in the game, which happens to be their worst showing all season, and the pain is amplified. The matchup saw a lot of revamped strategy from the head coach. White responded by playing Clark in an unfamiliar position. She decided to play her off the ball from the start against Golden State by replacing Lexie Hull in the starting lineup. White opted to start three small guards. She went with McDonald and Clark alongside Kelsey Mitchell in the backcourt. This small-ball unit resulted in more off-ball action for Caitlin Clark, disappointment for fans, and a loss for the Fever. However, Caitlin Clark bailed her HC out of these allegations…
Caitlin Clark bails out HC White as the Indiana Fever fall flat
Caitlin Clark owned the loss with total accountability and kept her composure after the game. Even though her long-awaited return this Wednesday should’ve been a celebration, it turned into pure frustration instead. After all, missing five games with a groin injury is taxing. But the Indiana Fever got completely outplayed by the Golden State Valkyries, losing 80-61 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Clark finished with 10 points, five rebounds, six assists, and four turnovers in just 25 minutes. Even though she spent most of the game off the ball, the 23-year-old didn’t make excuses. “It all starts on defense. We didn’t do what our coach asked of us,” she said. “We played with low energy and effort. Those are things that just can’t happen.”
The stats backed her up. The Fever gave up 12 three-pointers. That is way above Golden State’s season average of 8.9. They even got out-rebounded by 11. They leaked too many second-chance points, and the loss dropped their record to 9-10, which gave them this rough setback at a crucial time in the season.
Do you think that the franchise can show some improvement in the coming games? Let us know in the comments.
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