Three major things have held Stephanie White’s Indiana Fever back this season: turnovers, defensive lapses, and fouling. John Gliva highlighted those three issues on Wednesday’s episode of The Ride With JMV podcast in the wake of the team’s 88-75 loss to the Golden State Valkyries. For him, as long as the Fever continue to struggle in those areas, they will not be able to consistently string wins.
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From John’s perspective, the Fever’s perimeter defense is simply too weak. And that’s because opposing guards can beat Indiana’s defenders off the dribble too easily. In fact, John suggested that Caitlin Clark is part of that challenge when she faces defensive duties. However, that was not the way veteran Fever broadcaster Debbie Antonelli viewed the situation. Instead, she explained her point by drawing a comparison between Clark and Stephen Curry.
“I also want to bring this point up because I was curious about it,” Antonelli said, speaking on the newest episode of the JMV podcast. “I wanted to know how many times Steph Curry fouled out of a basketball game in his NBA career. And I just thought it was kind of interesting. And Pat came up with 13 times in his NBA career and just once since 2001. So, to your point, making sure that we keep the best players on the floor. Figuring out the right schemes to keep the ball in front. And then just making sure that we have the offensive firepower we need.”
What Debbie Antonelli was trying to say through that comparison is straightforward. Curry fouled out only 13 times, as per her calculation, in his NBA career, not because he is a great defender. Instead, it is because the defensive system the Golden State Warriors used did not place Curry in impossible defensive situations. That approach reduced the number of unnecessary fouls he commits and allowed him to stay on the floor longer.
And so, for Antonelli, coach Stephanie White does not necessarily need additional elite individual defenders or a dominant shot blocker to fix the team’s defensive issues. Rather, what White needs is a defensive system that does not expose Caitlin Clark in the same way the Warriors’ system has protected Curry.
And true to Antonelli’s point, Clark has committed 65 personal fouls this season, averaging 3.3 fouls per game. That has occasionally forced Stephanie White to take her out of games early to manage foul trouble. So, the message seems clear: Stephanie White’s defensive system needs to be better.
Beyond that, Antonelli also believes there is still work to do on the offensive side of the floor, even though the Fever already possesses one of the league’s most potent offenses. As she put it:
“I see the game through an offensive lens.”
For her, if the Fever’s offense is elite, they can survive with solid rather than perfect defense.
Overall, the summary of Antonelli’s message is simple. Coach Stephanie White needs to come up with better team defense and defensive schemes that keep stars like Caitlin Clark on the floor instead of in foul trouble, while also making incremental improvements offensively. That, in Antonelli’s view, is what will help the Fever reach a more consistent level.