They say the “third time’s the charm”, and that proved true for the Indiana Fever, who finally got a win without their superstar Caitlin Clark. It took three tries, but the Fever finally snapped out of their losing streak. And the best part? It came against the same Washington Mystics team that had handed them their worst loss of the season in the reverse fixture. But this time around, the Mystics couldn’t recreate that dominance, thanks in large part to a clever tactical tweak by coach Stephanie White.

Clark, who is still nursing a left quad injury, watched from the bench as the Indiana Fever snapped out of their three-game losing streak. Rallying behind Kelsey Mitchell’s 23-point effort and Lexie Hull’s 14, the Fever secured a crucial 85-76 win over the Mystics. But it wasn’t just the scoring that stood out. After the game, Hull shed light on the tactical shift the team made which made this win possible.

In the postgame conference, she said, “I think more than anything, it starts on the defensive side and getting out and running and playing fast, and, um, just sharing the ball. I think, you know, our team looks really good when the ball is fast and moving and hits everybody’s hands and gets in the paint and goes in and out, in and out. It’s harder to guard.”

The Fever exploded for 31 points in the third quarter, putting their fast-paced style on full display! It was a major turnaround from their first half, where they managed just 38 points. Analysts have been critical of the Fever’s offense in recent games, calling it slow and stagnant without Caitlin Clark. But last night’s third quarter proved the Fever can still push the tempo and find their rhythm, even without their star on the floor.

Hull herself had a phenomenal second half. She finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and shot an impressive 6-of-9 from the field. By late in the third quarter, she was also a game-high +22. She currently leads the WNBA in both three-point percentage (57%) and offensive fouls drawn (12). A season to remember so far!  

Head coach Stephanie White had plenty of praise for her side, too. After watching her team come alive with energy and purpose, White made sure to give credit where it was due. Let’s take a look at what she had to say!

Stephanie White praises her team after a hard-fought victory in Caitlin Clark’s absence

The Indiana Fever improved to 3-4 on the season, climbing to 7th in the standings. While it’s still early days and the rankings don’t hold much weight just yet, winning without Caitlin Clark? That’s huge! The Fever have scorers, no doubt, but Clark’s elite vision and passing ability had been a glaring absence in the two losses before this win. But that changed Tuesday night, and the head coach was there to praise her team’s efforts!

“Yeah, I mean, 21 assists on 30 made field goals is huge. That’s how we want to play. That’s how we have to play in order for us to be successful. We’ve got to get that ball moving. I think we had something like eight assists on 10 made field goals in the third quarter. That’s when we’re gonna be at our best. That was big time for us,” Coach White said.

It was definitely a crucial win for the Fever, breaking free from a tough three-game losing streak. With momentum now on their side, they’ll look to carry that energy into their next matchup against the Sky. Can they make it back-to-back wins without their star guard? Stay tuned to find out!