After dropping their first game of the season midweek to the Dream, Caitlin Clark & co. headed to Atlanta to exact their revenge. And when things between CC and Rhyne Howard started to get chippy early, it felt like a classic game from the star sophomore was in store. However, the protagonist for this game was found on the Fever’s bench.
Stephanie White knew what she was stepping into with the Fever’s young core. “These two are the best,” she had said, speaking about center-guard synergy between Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark. Then, of course, there was Kelsey Mitchell, whose signing the franchise had made an off-season priority. And they deliver, too. In the game 2 loss against the Dream, the trio combined for a total of 75 points. But the following matchup showed the Fever was a lot more rounded. Stephanie White acknowledges it, and looks like Clark is on board.
“DD the goat,” the reigning ROTY commented under a post by Damiris Dantas after she had seemed to have penned down a message for the new season. “New energy, new content, and the same mission: represent, inspire, and play with heart,” a part of her caption (roughly translated) read.
That came only about a day after the HC had sung praises in the post-game conference. Why exactly?
When the Fever entered the court on Thursday, they came in charged enough to stack up on fouls. Although Indiana led 37-34 at the half, foul troubles hit both Boston & Clark as they accumulated 4 fouls each before the fourth quarter even started. And just when another game appeared to slip out of their hands, the supporting cast decided to take matters into their own hands.
Picking up the slack for their stars, the Fever bench added 22 points, outscoring the Dream’s bench 22-10. After the game, Coach Stephanie White was asked about the importance of their bench contributions. Her answer brought focus to Indiana’s versatility. “It’s huge, and, you know, again, our depth and our ability to play different lineups, our ability to lift one another up if we don’t have it” she said. But there was one player, coach White believed, had a major role, despite it not being reflected on the stat sheet.
“I mean, you know, I thought Damaris Dantas was huge for us when A.B. got in foul trouble, and, you know, it’s easy to look at numbers, but what she brought in terms of her ability to move the ball, her defensive physicality was huge,” White said. And when the coach decided to show love to the Brazilian forward, her star guard followed in her footsteps.
Dantas comes in with 10 years of experience, one of those with Fever last year. It was the primary reason the franchise had acquired her, and she knew it, too. “I can bring everything,” she had last last season. “More energy, I have experience.” And clearly, Dantas is living up to it. Though she put 3 points in the win against the Dream, she also added 6 rebounds and an assist across 17 minutes. For further impact, you heard Stephanie White and read Caitlin’s thoughts.
CC had an off day herself, making none of her threes for the first time since 2022. But with the chemistry in Indiana already booming, Clark has a solid bench to back her up this year.
Fever bench brings the heat in ATL
While Damiris Dantas was the one who received praise from Coach White this time around, her comments have repeatedly displayed appreciation for her bench. One player she has particularly been fawning over is guard Sophie Cunningham. While a guard, her versatility allows Stephanie to put her in multiple positions.
Returning from an ankle injury to make her regular season debut, Cunningham immediately made her presence felt. She provided a much-needed spark, contributing 9 points on 3-of-6 shooting (including 2-of-4 from the three). Cunningham also pulled down 6 rebounds and added 3 assists and 1 block, demonstrating versatility. Making crucial plays down the stretch or drawing multiple fouls — including the offensive foul on Howard that sealed the win for the Fever — she was there, too.
Further contributions arrived from the player who Cunningham refers to as her twin, Lexie Hull. She was a standout off the bench, tallying 10 points on an impressive 4-of-7 shooting from the field, including a perfect 2-for-2 from beyond the arc. Beyond her scoring, Hull also dished out 4 assists. Her most telling stat, however, was her +14 plus/minus, the highest on the entire team. And while Coach White did appreciate “the twins” for their performance, she also made sure to boost Sydney Colson’s morale.
“Obviously, what Lexi and Sophie bring for us, and even Sid, she hadn’t played the whole game, and we throw her in there in some time and score situations,” White said. Colson has been facing criticism from the fans since the preseason started. Although she was believed to have a bigger role in the squad initially, Hull stepping up her game has made things difficult for Colson. And with the Fever paying her $90,000 for the season in a squad that’s fielding only 11, the fans’ discontent grew. However, Coach White’s comments are sure to instill confidence in the veteran guard who will likely play a bigger role when playoff comes around.
Although many thought the season was looking like a cakewalk for the Fever, we’ve learnt in the past week– there are no easy games in the WNBA this season, and if the Fever want to live up to the ‘favorite’ tag, it would take more than just hero ball.
The post Caitlin Clark Marks 3-Word Stamp on Teammate Who Was Praised by Indiana Fever HC Post Atlanta Victory appeared first on EssentiallySports.
