Caitlin Clark Turnovers, Aliyah Boston Fouls Plague Fever vs Dream: Takeaways
The Indiana Fever completely fell apart in the third quarter, and really the entire second half against the Atlanta Dream, ultimately falling 113-96.
This included some miscues from two of their stars. Caitlin Clark, who was otherwise terrific in the contest, had five turnovers in the third quarter, the most she has had in any frame in her career.
It's hard to nitpick Clark too much, as she continued her stretch of stellar play. Clark finished with 26 points on an efficient 11-18 shooting. But while some of her turnovers were forced, others were lapses in judgment, and they helped propel the Dream from a three-point halftime deficit, to a 10-point lead after the third.
Credit Atlanta for plenty of that, as the defensive efforts of Jordin Canada and others had a lot to do with the the Fever's struggles. Indiana turned it over 19 times (Clark had 7) to Atlanta's 8.
Indiana was once again plagued by foul trouble as well, specifically to star center Aliyah Boston. Boston picked up her fifth foul late in the third, all but ensuring the Fever wouldn't be able to come back against a Dream team that dominated them inside.
The foul came on a play that Fever coach Stephanie White certainly could have elected to challenge, but she chose not to.
The Dream outrebounded the Fever and attempted 13 more shots due to the advantage on the boards and in the turnover department. This led a franchise-record 113 points scored by Atlanta.
Defense, Depth, and Identity Issues Arise for Indiana
The point total from the Dream speaks for itself, as the Fever's defense continues to be an issue. The whistle didn't help, as Atlanta was able to get to the line even on plays where there wasn't much contact.
Indiana's lack of depth reared its head again as well. Boston scored 13 points in her limited 22 minutes, and Kelsey Mitchell had 16 to go with Clark's 26. But beyond those three, once again Sophie Cunningham was the only other player able to reach double-figures.
Given Boston's foul trouble, the ABC broadcast made it a point to note Indiana didn't have much behind her, or next to her, as the absence of a stretch power forward who can score continues to be glaring.
Then there is the Fever's lack of consistency when it comes to an identity. Indiana only scored 15 points in the third quarter, which should never happen given their top-end talent.
The team looked lost in the second-half, a stark contrast to how they started. Clark had 13 points in the first quarter, including hitting her first three-threes. But she grew increasingly frustrated as the game went along and Indiana didn't seem focused in its method of attack.
White should certainly be answering for how exactly she thinks the Fever will be at their best on that end, given the way they unraveled against Atlanta.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his popular YouTube channel. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak On SI and Indiana Fever On SI!
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