Two days after hitting a Minnesota speed bump in their path to the playoffs, the Fever welcome the Atlanta Dream to town. This is a get-right game for Indiana--the Lynx exposed the Fever's tendency toward sloppy ball handling and haphazard defense to the point where Caitlin Clark and company lost their poise, so they'll be looking to get back on track here.
But the Atlanta Dream have playoff dreams of their own. They're now tied with the Chicago Sky for the eighth and final playoff spot, and with Angel Reese's season ending due to a broken wrist, their prospects suddenly got a lot brighter. The Dream remain well under .500, but they do come in here having won twwo of their last three.
The Dream have developed from a borderline dreadful team to a streaky outfit that can be dangerous in the right situation and setting. That may not sound like much, but it's a huge step in the right direction from where they were. They've had several bad losing streaks this year, but they posted win against the Wings and the Sparks in the last week, with a loss to Phoenix sandwiched in between.
They haven't seen the Fever for a while, having lost two games to Indiana back in June and another in late August. The Fever are a different team now, but so are the Dream, and Chicago's recent slippage combined with Reese's injury has given them something to play for rather that just finishing out the schedule.
Recent heroes for Atlanta include Rhyne Howard, who posted 33 points against the Wings in a wild 107-96 game in which Atlanta had to come from behind to make up a 14-point halftime deficit to force the game into overtime. Veteran Tina Charles as been a rock for Atlanta, posting 13 boards against Dallas while providing her usual steady presence.
Indiana Fever Team Review
The Fever were rolling when the Lynx came to town, having won five in a row and seven of their last eight. But Minnesota knocked them back on their heels a bit, posting a 17-point margin in the third quarter, then fighting off an Indiana charge in the fourth to secure an impressive 99-88 win.
For the Fever, it was a chance to reassess before the playoffs. They turned the ball over six times in that third quarter, and they also lost their poise in the second half. Aliyah Boston picked up a technical foul, and Clark staying on the floor after hard contact, clearly expecting the call to go her way as she stared at the rafters while the Lynx capitalized on the five-on-four opportunity.
This is a get-right for the Fever before a pair of contests against the Las Vegas Aces. After that they get easier games against the Wings and Mystics, and they'll be looking to clean things up from the Minnesota mess and prepare for playoff basketball n this one against upset-minded Atlanta.
Who to Watch
Atlanta Dream
Atlanta's chances here depend largely on Tina Charles' ability to step up and lead the charge. She's more than capable of it given her 23/10 line against the Sparks in LA, but this is a different kind of road challenge that will be much more difficult. A win here would give them a serious jolt of confidence when Minnesota comes to town in their next game, and after that they'll have back-to-back games with the Mystics before their showdown with Chicago on the 17th.
Indiana Fever
All eyes will be on Caitlin Clark as usual, but we'll be watching her for different reasons this time around. She's been on a bit of a turnover binge lately, and while she loves to make the highlight reel pass, she'd be better off playing under control and focusing on her poise and overall leadership against an opponent that's clearly inferior on paper.
Keep an eye on the Indiana defense, too. The Fever tend to get sloppy on that end of the floor, and it's not unusual to see them defend hard along the arc, then miss a screen or lose a cutter that results in a layup and an easy score for the opposition.
This article was orginally written by Bob McCullough
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