If your feed’s been taken over by women’s basketball clips lately, chances are you’ve seen the moment: Stephanie White stepping in between Aliyah Boston and a ref. Boston was mid-argument, fired up and frustrated, when White calmly slid in, nodded like “I got this,” and then unleashed on the official in a flash. Fans couldn’t get enough. That snap-to-protect move was classic White. She’s always been the one to fight for her team, no matter what. But now, as the Fever took another L… is she starting to flip the script?
Facing the defending champion New York Liberty, the Fever led by as many as seven late in the third quarter only to crumble in the same, familiar fashion they’ve tried to shake all season long. A 98-84 loss marked their third defeat to the Liberty this season and once again highlighted the widening gap between flashes of potential and full-game execution.
And yes, the Fever won’t see the Liberty again this season. But let’s not pretend that’s a relief. Because if you’re serious about contending you’ve got to hold your own against the big dogs. Right now, The Fever are 1-3 against the champs and it’s a tough look for a team trying to prove it belongs in the title conversation.
Postgame, when a reporter asked head coach Stephanie White about something Natasha Howard had mentioned – not knowing personnel (lack of familiarity with opponents), something Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham had also brought up in previous losses, White didn’t agree. “I don’t know if it’s not knowing as much as having awareness when you’re on there. You know, in transition you get matched up, crossmatched often times. If you quiz them on the scouting report, they know it but recognizing it in live action… understanding again like what we’re willing to live with… playing tendencies.”
“Becasue at the end of the day, you know, players make plays,” she added. She might be onto something.
Stephanie White, new Indiana Fever head coach, speaks Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference held on Salesforce Court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
How?
Becasue this has been a second-half story for Indy all season long. The Fever are the third-worst second-half team in the league right now, outscored by an average of six points per game. It’s not about the prep. It’s about real-time adjustments, playing tendencies, awareness and letting the wrong players get hot. Exactly what White said.
It’s been the same script in too many games. Like when a 13-point third-quarter lead in San Francisco turned into an 11-point loss on June 19. Or in Vegas on June 22, when they blew an eight-point lead. Or LA on June 26, when a 10-point cushion flipped into a 10-point defeat. Same film, different arena. Tuesday night was the same.
The Liberty didn’t even win the first half. The Fever were the ones balling. They went into the break up 46-42. This was the same defense that delivered them a Commissioner’s Cup win not long ago – also without Caitlin Clark. Aari McDonald had Sabrina Ionescu in a cage, forcing a 1-of-9 start. The Fever were flying, disrupting, executing.
And then… it all flipped.
It wasn’t even that dramatic. No game-breaking run, no epic meltdown. Just the Liberty showing up like defending champs do. Quietly, then all at once. Jonquel Jones returned and made her presence known right out the gate with a corner three. But it wasn’t until the third quarter, when New York found its rhythm, that things really unraveled. Fever were up 67-60 with three minutes left in the third. By the start of the fourth, they were down and out. In that seven-minute span bridging the quarters, they scored just three points.
“Not letting players who like to drive left, drive left, right, make them go right. Not allowing wide open catch and shoot threes to three-point shooters, you know, making them put the ball on the floor, disrupting their rhythm,” White had said postgame. That’s exactly what didn’t happen.
Jones exploited every crack. She did all that in just 23 minutes, finishing with 18 points and 9 rebounds. She didn’t even have to be dominant to shift the game. She just read it better. And her teammates followed suit. The result was a 98-84 win.
But amid the chaos, there was still Kelsey Mitchell for Indy.
Kelsey Mitchell joins elite company as Fever’s steady firepower
After a 21-point blowout loss, the Indiana Fever crumbled yet again in the fourth quarter, getting outscored 29-17 by the New York Liberty. But amid the frustration, one bright spot lit up the court – Kelsey Mitchell. Coming out of the All-Star break with no signs of slowing down, Mitchell caught fire. She knocked down three triples to become just the fourth player in WNBA history to hit 50+ threes in each of her first eight seasons. The others are legends: Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, and Katie Smith.
That’s the kind of company Mitchell’s keeping now. “This is royalty,” ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo said, spotlighting Mitchell’s elite feat. And it wasn’t just about the numbers for Lobo. “You’re gonna watch her and be like oh my god that’s different,” she added, praising Mitchell’s sharper, faster form. The Fever didn’t hide their pride either. After her 29-point performance against the Liberty, Indiana celebrated the vet with a glowing post on social media. Mitchell went 11-for-21 from the field and chipped in two boards, two assists, and two steals.
What makes this stretch even more impressive is it’s not just one game. Mitchell has scored 20+ points in nine of her last 12 outings. While Caitlin Clark’s rollercoaster season continues – with inconsistent shooting and recent absences due to injures that might have something to do with Fever staff’s blunder– Mitchell and Aliyah Boston’s consistency has kept Indiana from falling into the cellar.
There’s hope that Clark returns soon and finds her rhythm again. With both stars clicking, the Fever might just make their way back into the top-tier conversation.
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