It seems the Los Angeles Sparks have the Indiana Fever’s number. The Stephanie White-coached side just can’t figure out how to break through the Sparks, who have been far from the best team in the league. A 13-15 Sparks side floored a Fever side who had all the momentum for the third time this season, beating them 91-100 at the Crypto Arena. Fever has a win over the Liberty, the Dream, and the Aces, but this Sparks team has proved to be a thorn in their side. 

This loss snapped their 5-game winning streak, bringing them back to the ground. Just as things looked good, they fell apart. The team was gelling without Caitlin Clark, trusting each other, understanding their role, but they just couldn’t take that pace from the Sparks. In an end-to-end game, Rickea Jackson and Kelsey Plum’s 25 points apiece gave Sparks the go-ahead, but Kelsey Mitchell and Co. held on to the hopes till the final seconds. However, Sparks’ 19-point lead proved to be just too much. Even with the loss, coach Stephanie White is taking the fighting spirit of this team as a positive going forward.

White told the reporters after the game, “We are a resilient group. we have been all season long and you know we found ways to um put ourselves in position for success no matter what and you know we didn’t. We didn’t have it in all areas tonight but we gave ourselves a chance down the stretch and I think it says a lot about this group.

The game was almost lost in the second quarter itself. After a cut to cut first quarter which the Fever finished with a point lead. The Sparks pressed the accelerator, scoring 28 while limiting the Fever to just 16. Ever since, they played catch-up. Kelsey Plum and Co. were just in the form of their life, and the way they were playing, it was a difficult task to be in touching distance throughout the game, but this Fever side did not let go that easily, keeping up with a 21-22 third quarter. With just 11 points separating the two in the fourth quarter, they had a chance. They had the first of their 25-point+ fourth quarter and tried to make the best of it, but it just wasn’t their day. 

White further emphasised on the trust factor of this team saying, “Just how convicted they are, how much they pull for each other, you know we had some missed opportunities, but to be in the position to cut it to four with a little over a minute left you know I feel like that says a lot about the fight that they have.”

This team was shaky and inconsistent early in the season. Even without the chemistry, what they had was heart. Remember that Connecticut Sun game, after struggling for the first three quarters, they rallied in the last to ultimately fall short by just one point. While they have been tested and tried, the team has learnt from its mistakes and is showing its will to win. While the quality of basketball improves further, the one thing that doesn’t change is their competitive spirit. 

“This is a team that I have never felt like this in the W,” Sophie Cunningham said recently, “We love spending time together, even through the long practices. We hold each other up, and that makes a difference.” As the team continues to elevate its game, tough losses like this could easily turn into thrilling victories the next time around. So be it with or without Clark, this intensity will continue, and if they keep giving their all, the wins are sure to follow.

Honestly, The Sparks Were Just Better On the Day

The Indiana Fever weren’t just winning, they were making statements. They were demonstrating that they can function just as well and at times even better without Caitlin Clark. They defeated the Storm, the Mercury, and the Aces with relative ease. That is three of the top teams in the league within a pretty short stretch. And you would think they would be high in confidence, but so were their opponents. They were 1-8 in the last 9 games and on a run of their own. 

However, there was no glaring weakness in the Fever’s performance, as one might expect. When it comes to field goal percentage, the Sparks shot at an astonishing 56.1%, which is a lot more than their season average of 45.9%. When it comes to the three-pointers, every alternate one of theirs went in, which is 15 more than their season average of 35%. 

Los Angeles was just unstoppable in this one. 4 of their 5 starters torched the scoreboard. Plum notched her second double-double of the season while Jackson matched her. Azurá Stevens poured in 19, and Dearica Hamby chipped in 16, showcasing a relentless, all-around attack from the Sparks’ starting lineup. 

The Fever did not even have their ball handling woes as they committed only 5 turnovers as compared to Sparks’ 14. For more context, the Fever commit 14.2 turnovers per game. The only area of concern was their paint defense, where they conceded 48 points. That remains a glaring weakness in an otherwise very well-rounded team. 

Sometimes, the opponent is just on a heater. And there is little you can do about it. The Fever team will look at these numbers and conclude exactly that and come back with the same intensity in their next game. Their defense remains a work in progress, but it has shown some improvement in the last few weeks. Stephanie White and Co. will need some creative solutions to stop the bleeding with Caitlin Clark’s return looking far ahead.