The Indiana Fever suffered a tough defeat in their first playoff game against the Connecticut Sun, falling 93-69 on Sunday afternoon at Mohegan Sun Arena. The loss put the Fever in a precarious position, down 0-1 in the best-of-three series. Connecticut now has the opportunity to clinch the series as early as Wednesday, also at Mohegan Sun Arena. If Indiana can rally and win Game 2, the series will shift to Indianapolis for a decisive Game 3 on Friday.
The game started on a difficult note for the Fever, losing their rhythm early. Just 90 seconds into the contest, Caitlin Clark found herself down on the court after being poked in the eye by Sun guard DiJonai Carrington.
Clark was clearly in pain, grabbing her face after the incident. While she briefly went to the bench after Indiana called a timeout, she quickly returned to the game. However, the injury appeared to affect her performance throughout the first half.
Clark, typically known for her sharp shooting and offensive prowess, struggled mightily in the early stages. By halftime, she had only three points on 1-of-9 shooting, including a surprising 0-of-6 from beyond the arc.
The ABC broadcast showed a visible black eye forming on her right eye by the half, evidence of the impact from Carrington’s poke. Despite this, Clark continued to play through the pain, but her rhythm was clearly disrupted.
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In the second half, Clark began to find her footing, hitting two 3-pointers and a layup in the third quarter, bringing her total to 11 points. Yet, it was not enough to turn the tide for the Fever. The Sun’s defense was relentless, focusing on limiting both Clark and Kelsey Mitchell from heating up from long range. Clark finished the game with 12 points, shooting 4-of-17 from the field and just 2-of-13 from 3-point range.
The eye poke incident added fuel to the frustrations of the Fever and their fans. Carrington’s poke was not called as a foul, despite visible protests from Indiana’s bench and players. That call was just one of several questionable decisions by the officiating crew that seemed to work against the Fever throughout the first half.
Indiana used its challenge just 45 seconds into the game to contest a foul that was incorrectly attributed to Aliyah Boston, who wasn’t involved in the play. The challenge was successful, switching the foul to Lexie Hull, but the tone for a contentious game was set.
Head coach Christie Sides also expressed her frustration with the officiating, visibly upset on multiple occasions when fouls weren’t called in Indiana’s favor. At one point, she had to be physically removed from the court by a referee after arguing a non-call. Sides later picked up a technical foul when Hull was called out of bounds on the baseline, and Erica Wheeler had to step in to prevent her from further engaging with the officials.
Adding to the Fever’s woes were repeated shot clock malfunctions that caused unnecessary stoppages in play. Three times in the first half, the shot clock failed to start when Indiana gained possession, disrupting the Fever’s transition game and high-tempo offense. These issues, combined with their shooting struggles, made it difficult for the team to establish any offensive flow.
Despite the challenges, there were some bright spots for Indiana. Backup center Damiris Dantas, one of four Fever players with prior playoff experience, provided a valuable spark off the bench. Dantas, who played a key role in the Minnesota Lynx’s 2015 title run, contributed 12 points in 23 minutes. She hit two crucial 3-pointers in the first half, helping to keep the Fever within striking distance at the time. Her ability to stretch the floor and space the offense was vital, particularly when Indiana’s other bigs, Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith, struggled to make an impact.
Dantas’ strong performance stood out, especially as Smith only played nine minutes in the game. However, the Fever will need more from their entire roster if they hope to turn things around in Game 2 and keep their season alive.
With their playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Indiana faces a must-win scenario on Wednesday. A victory would send the series back to Indianapolis for a decisive Game 3, giving the Fever one last chance to advance.
