Just two weeks after the Fever dropped back-to-back games in LA, they played host to the Sparks Tuesday night, hoping to avenge those losses- one of which was by just one point.
From the start of the game, the Fever trailed the Sparks, throwing the ball away and missing numerous easy shots but per the usual, they weren’t out of it and came back early to take a decisive lead and holding a one-digit advantage going into halftime.
NaLyssa Smith found her way back into the lineup for the first game in a long time, following a fracture in her foot and the difference was palpable and added an element of intensity as well as a load off of Aliyah Boston that has been needed for a very long time.
While the officiating calls were questionable at times and appeared to make a difference in the finality of the game, the Fevers’ lack of good ball handling and ability to make easy layups played a major role as well.
Kelsey Mitchell, Grace Berger and Boston all played major roles on both ends of the court, sinking game-changing baskets and giving it everything they had but the team still came up short. However, the 87-80 final score was nowhere near indicative of the way the game went, with the majority of the contest seeing a one or two point differential until the final minutes.
The Fever continue to be a fun team to watch and have completely surpassed any bar set by last year’s squad. They may sit at the bottom of the WNBA standings, they share that spot with Seattle and Phoenix and are only five games out of the playoffs with 11 games left to play.
The Fever return home Thursday night when they host the Minnesota Lynx, which will also see Tiffany Mitchell making her first appearance in Indianapolis since leaving the Fever and signing with the Lynx.
-Tim Stepp
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