‘This is a playoff series for us’: Fever’s supporting cast has work to do as playoffs near

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Fever are treating their back-to-back against the Las Vegas Aces as a playoff series, a measuring stick against one of the premiere franchises in the WNBA.

There are no secrets in the playoffs. Each team has seen the other's best sets, and they become familiar with tendencies and sweet spots on the court. Star players are expected to elevate their games in the postseason, and after a rare off night for Fever rookie superstar Caitlin Clark (16 points), the Indiana's supporting cast showed they've got work to do if they want to make an extended run when the actual postseason arrives.

Vegas' superstar, and favorite to win her third MVP award, A'ja Wilson also had an off night shooting. She finished with 27 points, but she needed 28 shots to do it. Fever coach Christie Sides said she'll live with Wilson shooting 11-of-28 from the field. It was the production off the bench of forward Alysha Clark and guard Tiffany Hayes that did in the Fever. The duo combined for 26 of the Aces' 30 bench points. The Fever managed just 11 points off the bench.

"A'ja Wilson goes 11-for-28, I'm OK with that percentage, but you can't let two players come off the bench and get 14 and 12," Sides said. "We can't let that happen. We gotta do a better job of not letting that lead get so far ahead and then we're battling hard."

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The Fever's bench production has been an issue all season. In a postseason-type game, their deficiencies are magnified. Aliyah Boston picked up three fouls in less than one minute late in the third quarter. The second-year post left the game and did not return until the 3:20 mark of the fourth quarter. Boston fouled out two minutes later. Veteran center Temi Fagbenle played well in spurts during Boston's absence. She scored six points on 3-for-3 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds, but she committed three turnovers and missed two free throws that could've cut Indiana's deficit to two possessions in the second half. She finished with a team-worst minus-13 plus/minus.

Kristy Wallace looked rusty in her first three minutes of game action since Aug. 30. Katie Lou Samuelson and Damiris Dantas also struggled to find their rhythm in limited minutes off the bench. Erica Wheeler scored five points in six minutes, but it's clear that Sides does not want to play the veteran guard for extended minutes.

At this point in the season, players have settled into their roles. Lexie Hull has emerged as Indiana's fourth starter, but she has to continue shooting at a strong rate to keep defenses honest. The Fever don't run many sets for NyLyssa Smith, but she has to bring energy and toughness every game. If Indiana's supporting cast doesn't rise to the occasion, then the Fever's time in the playoffs may be short lived.

"We're trying to make those adjustments. What's hard is, this is kind of the way we've been playing," Sides said. "Caitlin, Kelsey (Mitchell), they've been playing those kinds of minutes, so it's just really hard to try to keep that momentum and flow going.

"This is a playoff series for us. That's how we're playing it. So, we need to win. We've got to make those adjustments coming in on Friday and try to get that win on Friday."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: ‘This is a playoff series for us’: Fever’s supporting cast has work to do as playoffs near