UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Head coach Christie Sides sat on the podium shortly after the Indiana Fever’s elimination with one clear message: The Recreation 2 loss was nothing for Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and the remainder of the Fever to be ashamed of. In two consecutive postseason defeats towards the veteran-laden Connecticut Solar, her younger squad left all the things on the ground.
“We’re all opponents in that locker room, so it doesn’t really feel good to go away right here and never have the chance to get one other one, a possibility to maneuver ahead,” Sides stated after the 87-81 defeat. “However the resiliency that these guys confirmed all yr — God dang, give Connecticut credit score, proper? They’re an especially good group. I’m happy with these guys for the way we performed on Sunday, and so they took from that and actually did what we requested them to do tonight — and gave ourselves an opportunity to win.”
The Fever’s season was headlined by Clark breaking information in some of the spectacular rookie campaigns ever, however it additionally included a plethora of different storylines, together with Kelsey Mitchell’s profession yr, Boston’s all-around sophomore leap, and Lexie Hull’s emergence as a important function participant. Indiana managed to beat a traditionally brutal schedule resulting in a 1-8 begin, and completed the season with a 9-5 post-Olympic file as a way to safe the No. 6 seed within the WNBA playoffs.
“It was particular. A variety of issues this group completed people who didn’t suppose was potential after the beginning we needed to the season,” Clark stated. “It’ll positively be somewhat bizarre for the primary couple weeks after which I’ll get bored and choose up a basketball once more.”
In the end, expertise received out. Within the Recreation 2 loss, Indiana wasn’t capable of overcome a well-balanced veteran squad that noticed contributions from a spread of gamers, together with 19 factors from Alyssa Thomas, a dagger three-point shot from Marina Mabrey, and clutch late-game baskets from veteran DeWanna Bonner. DiJonai Carrington, recent off a Most Improved Participant -winning season, was productive on each ends, whereas Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Veronica Burton have been key off the bench.
For Indiana, Clark bounced again from a troublesome Recreation 1 exhibiting with 25 factors and 9 assists, whereas Boston dominated within the publish. The Fever’s 2023 No. 1 choose scored 17 factors and 11 rebounds in Recreation 1, and adopted that up with a 16-point, 19-rebound efficiency.
“Clearly you by no means wish to lose, and particularly dropping proper now with the prospect to go house and so they need extra video games,” Boston stated. “It really sucks. However I believe simply having the ability to get a style of this playoff feeling…” she trailed off, seemingly enthusiastic about getting one other probability within the postseason.
“I imply, they’re a veteran squad. They make the best reads and hit some robust photographs.”
Nonetheless, it’d be exhausting to characterize Indiana’s season as something apart from profitable. Clark was requested to charge her efficiency, and famous she was joyful total however acknowledged she had a number of room to develop.
“I’m a troublesome grader. I really feel like I had a stable yr,” Clark stated. “For me, the enjoyable half is like I really feel like I’m simply scratching the floor and I’m the one which’s nit choosing each single factor I do. I do know I wish to assist this franchise… I do know there’s numerous room for me to proceed to enhance in order that’s what excites me probably the most. I really feel like I proceed to get loads higher.”
Christie Sides mirrored on how vivid the longer term is for Indiana, and the way proud she is meals this group:
“We positively have the items to have some nice years forward of us.” pic.twitter.com/8sbVvuKfpb
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) September 26, 2024
Kelsey Mitchell, who had a tough postseason after an amazing common season, can be a free agent this summer time. Whether or not Indiana will be capable of retain her — or purchase every other impression gamers — is a key query heading into the offseason. Mitchell has beforehand said she would discover free company, and because the group’s second-leading scorer and veteran chief, her loss can be monumental.
Hull, in the meantime, is signed via 2025, whereas veteran Erica Wheeler, like Mitchell, is a free agent. Clark and Boston, the Fever’s youngest two gamers, are each below contract till the foreseeable future; Boston via 2026, and Clark via 2027. That duo alone is promising sufficient that no matter who else is positioned round them, the Fever needs to be aggressive.
Each Clark and Boston are simply 22-years-old, and each solidified as formidable forces of their respective positions. Clark has notably thrived when surrounded by 3-and-D gamers (like Kate Martin in Iowa and Lexie Hull in Indiana) and the Fever may explode free company to attempt to safe such a participant. Indiana additionally has its three 2024 draft picks, although the precise placements have but to be solidified. An ESPN mock draft projected Indiana touchdown the No. 8 choose.
Within the brief time period, neither Clark nor Boston have publicly shared any offseason plans, with Clark even joking she’d think about taking on a golf profession: “I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow, I don’t know what I’m going to the subsequent day. Possibly play some golf. I believe that’s what I’m gonna do till it turns into too chilly in Indiana. I’ll develop into an expert golfer.”
Boston, who solely has a yr of expertise as an expert, maintained a big-picture perspective on the podium.
“Trying how far we’ve come from the [early] aspect of the season to now, I’m simply tremendous happy with our group, as a result of I believe it’s such a particular twelve [players], and I simply can’t wait to see what the longer term holds,” she stated.
Regardless of all of the success they achieved this season, the Indiana Fever by no means had a terrific shot at a championship. The Solar have made the semi-finals for seven consecutive seasons and had a mixed 222 postseason video games of expertise heading into the first-round matchup with the Fever.
“Once you’re taking a look at a rebuild yr, everybody needs to clearly bounce to the championships and convey house the ring and all the things,” Boston stated. “However I believe once you take a look at basketball as an entire and once you take a look at the place you begin to the place you are actually, it’s about stepping stones.”
Clark acknowledged that coming so shut made the elimination much more painful, but additionally echoed Boston’s and Facet’s optimism.
“It’s little style of what’s potential for this group and for this franchise,” Clark stated. “There’s loads for us to carry our heads excessive about. This group received 5 video games two years in the past. We’re a younger group, a reasonably inexperienced group, and we got here collectively and had numerous enjoyable taking part in with each other, and that’s typically the worst a part of it — you are feeling such as you’re actually taking part in your greatest basketball, after which it has to finish. However this group stayed resilient all yr and had numerous enjoyable collectively.”
Just a few months in the past, when Caitlin Clark walked off the rostrum after her Iowa group misplaced South Carolina within the NCAA championship, she was in tears, figuring out a chapter of her life had come to a detailed.
This time, there was a lightness about Clark that mirrored she knew the state of affairs was vastly totally different: this chapter was simply getting began.
