INDIANAPOLIS — A furious fourth-quarter comeback led to a Indiana Fever Lost to the Washington Mystics 89-84at Wednesday’s Camp Day matinee. Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Fever were down by 21 going into the fourth quarter but started the quarter with a 10-0 run that grew to 29-11 and at one point put them within three points of the Mystics.
Why further changes to the Fever lineup?“It’s the coach’s decision, so we’ll leave it at that.”
But a timely fadeaway from Ariel Atkins, who had 26 points at the end of the game, gave the Mystics (6-17) the victory with a minute to spare.
Caitlin Clark He finished with 29 points, 13 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 blocks and 5 made three-pointers.
The Fever came off a win over the best team in the WNBA (the Liberty) and then lost to one of the worst teams in the league.
Here are three observations:
Turnovers determine the Fever’s atmosphere
The game against the WNBA’s worst team will be crucial if the Fever (9-14) want to maintain their momentum over the Olympic break.
But Indiana just couldn’t take care of the ball.
The Fever lost the ball a whopping eight times in the first quarter, holding the Mystics to 24 shots on goal and the Fever to just 12. Those turnovers came for a variety of reasons, including offensive fouls on both Katie Lou Samuelson and Kelsey Mitchell, improper passes and simply not controlling the ball.
The Fever took control in the second quarter but had 12 turnovers by halftime compared to the Mystics’ five.
Indiana finished the game with 20 turnovers, its most since having 22 in an 89-77 loss to Seattle on June 27. Aaliyah Boston and Clark each had five. The Mystics scored 21 points off those turnovers.
Lexi Hull started the game, then missed most of the game.
Lexi Hull started Wednesday afternoon against Washington after two games in which she was DNP’d by coach’s decision against the Mystics on July 2.
Hull was effective in the Fever’s win over the league-leading New York Liberty on July 6, when head coach Christy Sides played Hull for 20 minutes, including the entire fourth quarter as the Fever overcame a nearly double-digit deficit. Hull finished with six points and two rebounds on 2-of-3 field goal attempts and a +/- of 6 in the five-point win.
So, Said opted to insert Hull into the starting lineup, move Katie Lou Samuelson to the power forward position and bring in Nalyssa Smith, the team’s second-leading rebounder, off the bench, marking the sixth different starting lineup the Fever has used this season.
But with the new lineup, the Fever struggled defensively, allowing the Mystics to take 24 shots in the first quarter and losing 26-18. Hull ended up playing just seven minutes in the first half and posting a poor stat line with a +/- of 11. Smith came in to fill the remaining minutes, moving Samuelson back to small forward.
Smith then started the second half, with Sides opting to return to the starting lineup he had used in the previous three games. Hull returned in the second minute of the third quarter and played 19 minutes, including most of the fourth quarter.
She finished with five points on 2-of-2 shooting, plus two rebounds and two steals.
Aliyah Boston suspended for foul trouble
The final 4 minutes and 25 seconds of the third quarter were crucial for Fever forward Aaliyah Boston and Mystics forward Stephanie Dolson. As Boston attempted a layup, the officials called a defensive foul on Dolson, which would have been her fourth point. However, the Mystics disputed the call because Boston elbowed Dolson in the face while attempting a shot.
The look on Fevers’ face after the officials reviewed the call said it all: The challenge was successful and what should have been an and-one turned into a nullified basket and, more importantly, Boston’s fifth foul at a crucial moment.
Boston was in foul trouble throughout the game, picking up three fouls in about 10 minutes in the first half, forcing him to rest on the bench for the rest of the second half, then picking up his fifth foul in just 25 minutes of game time (16 on the court), forcing Boston to rest on the bench until the end of the fourth quarter.
It was a big adjustment for a Fever team whose offense typically runs through Boston, and with the second-year center off the court for the rest of the third quarter, Indiana’s lead grew from 14 to 21 by the end of the quarter.
Boston got back into the game with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter, scoring a layup quickly and grabbing a rebound on the next attempt. She, along with backup Damiris Dantas, helped the Fever lead 25-9 through the quarter and inch closer to a 21-point comeback victory.
How many points did Caitlin Clark score?
The Fever rookie recorded his fourth consecutive point-assist double-double with 29 points and 13 assists, along with five rebounds, five steals and three blocks. He also committed five turnovers.
