The Indiana Fever have done it again. With just a 36.3% chance of winning the game. Not only did the Indiana Fever hand the Las Vegas Aces a shocking loss, but the way they did so was in a fashion that sent a very, very scary message to the league. Led by Kelsey Mitchell’s playoff-best 34 points and Odyssey Sims’ efficient 17 points, the Fever proved yet again that doubting them is never a good idea. While it is true that four-time MVP A’ja Wilson’s poor game was one of the biggest contributors to this loss, according to Becky Hammon, there was something even more serious, which made it almost impossible for them to win.

After leading the Fever’s ball-handing duties in yet another high-stakes game, Odyssey Sims confirmed Becky Hammon’s claims about them. During her post-game media availability, Sims said, “I think we’re one of the toughest teams to guard when we play at a pace with a higher level. Coach talks to me about that all the time. Making sure we’re getting downhill, but also it’s not just the pace. When you come off more aggressive, it’s hard to stop.” Throughout the season, the Indiana Fever remained the 5th team in the league when it came to pace. This number would’ve certainly been higher had there not been a significant turnover at the guard position. But despite all the personnel changes, the head coach Stephanie White has stuck to her game plan.

“And it’s me and Kelsey mainly because we’re in the majority of ball-screens, but it opens up so much. We draw attention when we get to the lane, but we also have great teammates that we can pass it out to. Like I said, we don’t wanna live in the lane, but we’re making sure we stay aggressive, but we also have our sprays, we have our kick outs, we have our high-lows with AB. Just open it up,” she continued.

Even though Kelsey Mitchell and Odyssey Sims are the main players dictating the pace, the rest of the team also plays a vital role in making sure that playing fast also results in making. As evident in the game against Becky Hammon’s Aces, the Fever made it a point to take the ball to the basket. 76.5% of their field goals were from inside the 3-point line, a clear sign of them beating the Aces’ defense and getting open lanes. And when they aren’t able to find open lanes, they make sure to find an open teammate. Even Aliyah Boston, who’s not known for her passing, ended the season with 3.7 assists per game.

This emphasis on playing a fast offense was on full display last night. The Indiana Fever ended the game with 15 fast-break points. They were also able to capitalize on Aces’ turnovers and scored 13 points off of them (Kelsey scored 11 of these).

Speaking to the media after the game, Becky Hammon said, “Fever won all three categories, and they played with a greater sense of urgency. Clearly, we had no answers for (Kelsey) Mitchell. Couldn’t even attempt to slow her down a little bit. I thought it was poor, really poor. She had a hot night, and we let her get going.” And a hot night she had indeed. On her way to leading the Fever to victory, Kelsey Mitchell also became the first Fever player to score 30+ points in a playoff game since 2012.

While Kelsey Mitchell is perfectly capable of creating her own shots, clearly, quick outlet passes were a big part of the reason why she was able to have such an effective night (12-23 from the floor). But while we have seen the advantages of Indiana Fever’s style of playing with pace, why exactly do they do it?

Why does the Indiana Fever Play With So Much Pace?

If we look at Stephanie White’s history before her current season with the WNBA, the speed was never the only priority. In the past season with the Connecticut Sun, he team was at the bottom of the league when it came to playing with pace. So why is it with the Indiana Fever that making sure to play fast is so important?

Well, the answer to that may remain in the personnel she has. Kelsey Mitchell is one of the, if not the fastest, players in the WNBA. Also, until Caitlin Clark was playing, her flashy passing from the end of the court to the other was instrumental. When we combine these two factors, it is obvious that the way forward is to beat the teams with pace. But players’ traits aside, there are plenty of other benefits to playing with pace.

Coming into game one as overwhelming underdogs, head coach Stephanie White knew that being aggressive was the only way to go. After the game, she said, “Our group has seen it all. We wanted to come in and be the aggressor right away to make sure that we were dictating on the defensive end and we were dictating from a pace standpoint.” Sure, they were also aided by a defensive masterclass put up by Aliyah Boston against the MVP, A’ja Wilson. But make no mistake, the strategy of playing with pace paid all the dividends.

Since the early blows, the Aces were never able to have command in the game. Sure, they did take the lead for a while or made the game a close affair. But anytime that happened, the Fever increased its intensity and went on a run.

It is due to this emphasis on playing quickly that they have now stolen the home court advantage against one of the league’s best teams. Becky Hammon will certainly make sure that her Aces are ready to match Indiana’s pace from the get-go in game 2. But will they be able to sustain it throughout the game or not? That is a whole other question.