The Indiana Fever’s 102-85 loss to the Las Vegas Aces wasn’t as jarring as the nature of their loss. They were the lower seed playing against the defending champions in front of a loud Aces fanbase. However, it was bewildering for the fans to see this season’s best offensive team simply fail to put up a fight in an opening game of a three-game series.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Rachel DeMita, the WNBA analyst who has been a big Caitlin Clark supporter, was one of the people who were shocked to see the manner in which the Fever fell short in Game 1. The former college basketball player slammed the Fever for their performance despite having a better team on paper.
“There is no excuse. I’m sorry. Two of the players on your team are MVP candidates. Two of the players on your team are first-team All-WNBA.”
“I’m done with the excuses. Like, there should be no excuse as to why they’re performing the way that they are and the way that they performed at the end of the season,” DeMita said on the Courtside Club podcast.
On paper, the Fever certainly have three of the best players, especially in their roles. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell have been All-WNBA offensive stars this season. They are two of the top three scorers in the league. Aliyah Boston is one of the best two-way players in the league. With a big three of this caliber, watching the Fever get blown out in Game 1 was a shocker.
Indiana played with a historic rhythm on the offensive end this season, earning a 96.0 rating, compared to Vegas’s 91.5 (second best). In a game that Indiana fans expected them to steal, the Fever lacked urgency, and head coach Stephanie White’s comments fueled further criticism.
After the loss, White told reporters that her team needed to be “humbled” to learn. DeMita slammed the Fever coach for her comments after her team and her comments failed to match the urgency of the moment.
“Have to be humbled???? in a 3-game series where your best chance of winning was to steal game 1????? I’m speechless,” she wrote on X.
The WNBA analyst added that the Fever should be winning this series and not get humiliated. They had pushed the defending champions to the brink of elimination last season. They did so without Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, and most of their players injured.
The Fever had made moves to aid the big three, and it was expected to be a championship or bust for them. Instead, Indiana is quickly finding out that it might have to pack up early in the playoffs.
In fact, DeMita was pessimistic about the Fever’s chances right off the bat in her previous podcast episode breaking down the game.
“One down and possibly only one more to go,” was the first thing she said after greeting the viewers.
The Aces dominated them from the start, but there was not a point after the first quarter that the Fever seemed to have a footing in the game. According to DeMita, the Fever lack the passion to win the game.
“[Aces] also seem like they hate the Indiana Fever, which I actually love because at this point in time in the playoffs, if that’s what you need to motivate you to win…I want to see that same spark from the Fever. I’m not sure if they have it.”
Every time the Aces scored, they celebrated. They were very vocal throughout the game. The Fever, not playing like the best offensive team, failed to score; their defense, which was subpar throughout the season, became a laughingstock in the loss. Las Vegas shot 59% from the field, including 47% from the 3-point line.
It’s a win-or-go-home for the Fever on Tuesday. If they didn’t show urgency in Game 1, now is the time for them. They have a home-court advantage. Now, they have to prepare their answers.