Show Caption
The Indiana Fever seem to be showing visible cracks in the team foundation they've worked so hard to build.On May 30, the Fever suffered a brutal 100-84 loss to the expansion Portland Fire. Indiana had 18 turnovers, gave up 52 paint points and allowed the Fire's lead to balloon to 26 points. Indiana also gave up 37 points in the third quarter and was in foul trouble. If that wasn't enough, Caitlin Clark was held to just six points. To add insult to injury, footage circulated postgame on social media of a tension-filled Fever timeout.The now viral moment included head coach Stephanie White removing Clark from the bench after the two appeared to disagree. As White asked Raven Johnson to sit where Clark once was, Kelsey Mitchell and Makayla Timpson attempt to calm Clark, who shakes her head multiple times standing behind her coach.To be clear, those kinds of moments during difficult games aren't out of the ordinary and happen often. But, the public usually doesn't see friction between Clark and White, or among the Fever, for that matter. Indiana has done a stellar job over the last several seasons of keeping the dynamics of their locker room out of the public eye.If a moment like this is happening on the sidelines, what's happening in the locker room?It's pretty clear, at minimum, there's some frustration. Indiana, which at 4-4 is ninth in the WNBA standings, is used to being the team that imposes its will. The Fever like to get off to a fast start, with its shooters scoring early and often. By the time other teams attempt to catch up, the game is out of hand.This season, however, teams are going toe-to-toe with the Fever and Indiana has to failed to adjust, especially defensively.It's given up 80 points or more in five of its eight matchups, including three games with more than 100 points. Over its last two games, the Fever have surrendered 17 shots beyond the arc during the last two games and 94 points in the paint. Indiana is making its shots, but also surrendering just as many, if not more, and that can't happen.On the other end, there could be outward cracks in the once tight-knit relationship-built Fever, and that could be spilling onto the court. Should Indiana have an underwhelming season that doesn't meet the team's high standards, we could be pointing back to this moment as just the beginning of the catastrophe.The Fever were already in the spotlight over their management of Clark's back injury, and now, amid consecutive losses, moments that might typically happen in the locker room are now out in the public. If Indiana doesn't right the ship soon, they'll wobble under pressure.That said, this isn't something to be worried about unless it becomes a pattern. There will be disagreements and tough moments through the stretch of the season that shape the team for better or for worse. How the Fever respond going forward will say a lot.The ball is in your court, Indiana.
