No Caitlin Clark, no problem. The Indiana Fever were without their biggest star against the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, but the team found a way, regardless. After a fairly even first half, in which they held a slender one-point lead, the Fever scored 26 more points in the third quarter. From there, it was no coming back for the Aces, who were without A’ja Wilson as well, with the final scoreline reading 84-68.
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Aliyah Boston, who had an 18-point, 10-rebound performance, pointed towards one of the major reasons for their refreshed attitude despite outside noise around the team.
“I think it was great for us. With our schedule, it’s always next game up, and it’s always within two days,” Boston said in the post-game press conference, when asked about the team’s mental health. “For us to have this time off, be in the gym for a few hours, but also find a lot of things to spend more time doing, was super great. Now we’re able to lock back in. I wouldn’t trade that break. I thought it was pretty great.”
The team had more than six days of break before they faced the Aces, and it came at a crucial time. It might have helped soften any kind of impact the outside noise might have had on their actual basketball.
After the Caitlin Clark-Alyssa Thomas incident, the controversies spiraled beyond the court, and the Fever were right in the middle of it without actually doing much. It created a media firestorm, with fans getting involved as well. That happening off court, coupled with their underwhelming record, combined for an unwanted soup of criticism. The mental toll from such incidents is considerable, as Fever remains one of the most scrutinized teams in the league.
“It’s an opportunity to take a breath. There’s a lot of stress and anxiety around playing the game that we love. That’s part of this,” Hull admitted in her practice media availability last week. “For us, it’s a chance to do things outside of basketball, not worry about our performance on the court. But just have fun and have a chance to fall in love with the game again.”
The break was not only essential for their mental health but also for their physical health. Key members of the team are either recovering or recently recovered from an injury. Caitlin Clark injured her back in that Mercury game and missed the Sparks games as well.
“I’m excited to get back into practice,” she said. “This week has been very helpful for my overall health.”
Aliyah Boston was nursing a lower leg injury early in the season. Kelsey Mitchell also confessed that she needed this break to reset. With this comfortable win post the break, the Fever enter an important road trip. They currently stand at 12-8 before three more away games, which could sway the momentum either way. With Clark returning soon, the Fever will want to go on a much-needed winning streak and get to their best.