Remember the Liberty game vs. the Indiana Fever? The one where the Fever had the ball with 2.2 seconds left and a shot to tie or even win it? Sophie Cunningham inbounded it to Caitlin Clark at half court, and just as fans held their breath for a buzzer-beater, Natasha Cloud swooped in and stripped the ball clean. Clark flailed her arms at the no-call, looking toward the refs in disbelief. Coach Stephanie White was livid. And honestly, we all thought that was her breaking point with officiating. But turns out, after the peak, comes just…moving on.

Well, kind of.

After missing a few days to tend to a personal matter – her partner’s mom was dealing with a serious health issue – Coach White returned to the sidelines on June 10. But what a rough day to come back. The Fever not only lost, but they got worked. A 77-58 blowout by the Atlanta Dream dropped them to 4-5 on the season. 

The first half was totally fine. Both teams went into halftime tied at 33. But in the third quarter, Fever scored just four points through the first seven minutes of the third. Meanwhile, Atlanta smelled blood. The Dream capitalized on sloppy passes and turnovers and turned them into easy buckets in transition. Just like that, what was a tied game turned into a 14-point mountain Indiana couldn’t climb.

And again, officiating found its way back into the spotlight. About 30 seconds before the third quarter ended, Kelsey Mitchell picked up a tech. She had just been called for a foul and seemed to say something that rubbed the refs the wrong way. Fast forward to three minutes left in the game… Natasha Howard missed a triple, the ball went flying, and as players scrambled under the hoop, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough came up with it. Coach White had a few words for the officials…and second tech of the night for the Fever.

But honestly, those two weren’t the dagger. The Dream had been in control for most of the second half, anyway. What really stung was Indiana feeling like the whistle just never went their way. Through three quarters, they’d only been to the line six times. But surprisingly, White didn’t go off postgame. “I mean, I feel like it’s been that way all season for us. But again, I think that an area for growth for us is, like, you know, we’ve got to be able to play through that,” she said. 

It almost felt like she and the team had just…accepted it. But they’re not just accepting. They’re adapting. And the word of the week is physicality. Going back to that third-quarter collapse again, the Dream didn’t just outscore the Fever, they bullied them. Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner combined for 30 points and 14 rebounds. They dominated the paint and made it clear: if you want to win in this league, you better toughen up.

And guess what White’s solution is? “We just got to get the guys that we practice against to continue to beat the sh-t out of us …to be physical and to make things difficult for us,” she boldly declared during the postgame conference. “And, you know, we’ve got to be able to handle that.” She said that they need to grow in terms of mental toughness, which means being able to stay focused and locked in, getting to the next action, and utilizing pressure releases without letting it freeze them.

So, practice isn’t going to be light this week. Now if you’re thinking, “Wait, wasn’t it the same story last time they played the Dream?” You’re right. Even in their earlier matchup, Indiana got beat in the same way – paint control, aggression, and pure grit from Atlanta. They couldn’t keep up physically then either. That’s what White’s trying to change. She wants her team to be the one throwing punches – figuratively, of course. Because with the way Atlanta plays, physicality is not optional…it’s essential. Now the big question: will they actually apply this lesson?

Additionally, while it was a gut-check loss, it came with a historic moment too.

Aliyah Boston hits rare milestone as Indiana Fever superstar set to return soon

Aliyah Boston may be known for her dominance in the paint, but she just joined some elite company as a playmaker, too. During Tuesday’s game, the Indiana Fever star quietly hit a major milestone. One that very few WNBA centers have ever reached this quickly. 

With 9:09 left in the third quarter, Boston dished out her fifth assist of the night, finding Kelsey Mitchell for a smooth 17-foot pull-up. That dime marked the 250th assist of her career, making Boston the second-fastest center in league history to hit that number, doing it in just 89 games, according to Polymarket Sports.

To put that into perspective, Alyssa Thomas, one of the top assist-getters in the league this season (8.0 per game), didn’t reach 250 until her 95th game. The overall fastest to the mark is Caitlin Clark, of course, as she racked up 250 in just 31 games. But Boston’s mark stands out because of her position. Centers aren’t typically primary facilitators, yet Boston continues to redefine what it means to play in the post in today’s WNBA.

And she’s doing it with Clark off the floor.

The Fever, now 4-5 after, has been trying to find their rhythm without their rookie star. Clark’s been sidelined the past five games with a quad strain she suffered back on May 24 against the Liberty. Since then, Boston’s been carrying the load and while she’s been solid (averaging 15.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists through eight games), she hasn’t crossed the 20-point mark once in Clark’s absence.

With Clark in the lineup, Boston hit 20+ in two out of four games. But, the good news for Indiana fans (and Boston) is Clark could be back as soon as Saturday, when the Fever faces the Liberty again. Let’s wait for the official word.