Credit must be given when credit is due, and Stephanie White had a major bounce-back performance on the sidelines tonight for the Indiana Fever. They defeated the Atlanta Dream 81-76 after suffering a frustrating loss just a few nights ago to the very same team. Caitlin Clark struggled tonight, scoring 11 points on 4-11 shooting and missing all five of the three-point shots she took.
Natasha Howard showed up, though. After getting her shot rejected in the waning moments of the Fever's last game against the Dream, she got her lick back in a major way. Howard scored 26 points on 12-17 shots, grabbed seven boards, had two assists, and threw in a steal. She carried most of the scoring load. Her short-term memory allowed her to bounce back and help her team secure a victory.
Coach White had the Fever ready to play a physical brand of basketball
This game was not like the last one at all. In the first game. Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell all went for 20-plus points. They were efficient and showcased why they're the top three scoring options. It was a tough game that came down to the wire, and in the end, none of them had a chance to win the game on the final possession of a one-point ball game.
The decision to give Howard the ball at the end of that game despite the Fever forward's tough shooting night drove me crazy, and I criticized it heavily. Clark was stood out of bounds and didn't even try to get back into the play as Howard drove into Atlanta's bigs only to have her shot turned back. Neither Mitchell nor Boston touched the ball on that play, either. It was just wrong.
Tonight was a different game. Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham brought energy off the bench when Indy fell behind early. They fought back early in the second quarter and kept the game close for the rest of the night. Most of the Fever ended up in foul trouble, and I was completely fine with it. The Dream play with a physical toughness that must be matched, and they did that. That's coaching.
White pulled the right levers when they needed to be pulled to get the win, even going to the Clark/Boston two-man game for a huge basket at the final minute. Boston was 2-7 for four points, but when the game is on the line, you have to trust your best players. Aliyah rewarded that trust by finishing a contested layup when the Fever needed it most.
Coach White may have had a major coaching blunder at the end of the first matchup with Atlanta, but she elevated her game tonight, and Indiana benefited as a result.
The Fever are now 2-1 and face the toughest challenge of their young season on Saturday when they'll host the defending champion New York Liberty.