Dream use ‘physicality,’ hold off Fever in bounce-back win

INDIANAPOLIS — Stephanie White knew how one can beat the Indiana Fever final season as coach of the Connecticut Solar. She went 5-1 in opposition to them, together with a 2-0 playoff sequence sweep.

Now teaching the Fever this WNBA season, White is aware of what opponents will attempt to do in opposition to Indiana. The Atlanta Dream did it Tuesday in a 91-90 victory at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“We didn’t handle their physicality. That’s going to be the M.O. against us all year long,” White stated. “Teams are going to be physical. That’s how I’d play us.

“They will push us, they will shove us, they will maintain us. They will do no matter they’re allowed to get away with, and we’ve determine how one can use that physicality in opposition to them.”

The Dream, who also have a new coach this season in Karl Smesko, added two veteran post players in free agency, both of whom played well Tuesday. Brittney Griner had 21 points and 8 rebounds and Brionna Jones 19 and 13. It was a strong bounce-back for Atlanta, which opened the season with an 94-90 loss at Washington on Friday.

The Dream and Fever meet again Thursday, this time in Atlanta. That game was moved to State Farm Arena, which holds nearly 17,000 fans, to accommodate the expected large crowd that Fever star Caitlin Clark usually draws. The Dream play most of their home games at Gateway Center Arena, which holds about 3,500.

Clark, after opening the season with a triple-double in the Fever’s 35-point win over Chicago on Saturday, had another strong performance Tuesday: 27 points, 11 assists and 5 rebounds. Teammates Aliyah Boston (24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) and Kelsey Mitchell (24 points) also played well. But as a team, the Fever made just 16 of 26 free throws, while Atlanta made 25 of 32.

“Right now we failed miserably as a gaggle as a result of there have been sure issues set in stone for us to be efficient from quarter 1 to quarter 4,” Mitchell said. “And also you guys did not see what it was speculated to appear to be till quarter 3½.

“So it kinds of just lies in the discipline right now: awareness, knowing personnel. Certain stuff we have to home in on to be successful. Our lulls were too low. They can’t be that low. We don’t have that margin for error.”

Nonetheless, regardless of trailing many of the sport, the Fever battled again to outscore Atlanta 25-15 within the fourth quarter. With 21.1 seconds left, Indiana took its first lead — 90-89 — for the reason that sport’s opening basket when Boston made the second of two free throws.

However then Rhyne Howard, who completed with 20 factors, was fouled and made each free throws for Atlanta.

Indiana nonetheless had an opportunity to win with the ball and 9.1 seconds left. However Natasha Howard had a shot blocked after which missed on a follow-up try. Clark stated these are conditions by which the Fever will develop.

“We wanted to win this game, but this is great for our team,” Clark stated. “A little adversity, how are we going to respond? I have to give my team a lot of credit; we never gave up. We found a way to get back in it.

“We’ve an opportunity to go there and play them [again]. We will get slightly redemption if we go down there and play nicely.”