After starting off slowly, New York gained momentum, but ultimately ended their season with an embarrassing defeat to the Indiana Fever.
Christie Sides, the head coach of the Indiana Fever, only needed someone to listen to her during the team’s first visit to the New York Liberty.
After a difficult preseason, her Fever were only 0-2; but, it seemed much worse than that. Not only did they appear confused, but they were frequently caught off guard when Caitlin Clark arrived and their offensive was always adjusted to accommodate her.
As if mindful of the controversy surrounding her team’s 0-2 start—some of which was justified, some of which wasn’t—Sides made the statement during the pregame press conference on May 18 that they needed time to come together.
When the Fever visited New York a second time, they lost by a score of 36 points to the Liberty, dropping them to 2-9. Though not hopeless, the atmosphere was gloomy. Was Aliyah Boston’s sophomore season and Clark’s rookie season going to be squandered while Indiana fiddled with a coach who was about to leave?
Since that clash on June 2, Indiana has played eleven games, going 6-4 overall. During that time, they have had a top-3 offense; Boston is getting the ball in her places and appearing more at ease; Clark’s shot attempts have decreased in favor of a rise in efficiency with much more assists; and Kelsey Mitchell has proven herself worthy of an All-Star appearance.
In the season-series finale, the Indiana team welcomed the Liberty to Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Leading the charge, Caitlin Clark made three step-back threes early on.
