Injuries and late-game lapses have mounted for the Indiana Fever down the stretch, but the WNBA playoffs remain in range.
That’s a testament to the group’s resolve, in leading scorer Kelsey Mitchell’s view, and that resolve is about to be tested some more.
On the heels of Caitlin Clark announcing Thursday night that she would not return from injury this season, Indiana will try to channel its determination Friday when the Chicago Sky visit Indianapolis.
Mitchell scored 29 points and Lexie Hull followed with 18 when Indiana lost 85-79 at Phoenix on Tuesday.
“We could easily give up and we haven’t,” Mitchell said afterward. “I think that speaks for itself. Because at any given moment, playing against professionals day in and day out, it’s hard. It’s not easy. And I think that we easily could have tucked our tail and said, ‘Well, we’re just gonna mess up the season,’ but I think the resiliency in our locker room … shows from person to person.”
The Fever (21-20) lead the Los Angeles Sparks by 1 1/2 games for the final postseason spot despite losing six of nine.
Los Angeles has a game in hand on Indiana and holds the tiebreaker over the Fever. Forgetting about those things will be critical on Friday, Indiana coach Stephanie White insisted.
“We still control our destiny, and we still have to make sure that we are playing the game that’s in front of us,” she said.
The Fever will push forward without Clark, who has not played since July 15 due to a right groin injury. She participated in non-contact, 5-on-0 team drills as recently as this week.
Then came her social media post Thursday night, announcing that despite her best efforts, she cannot return to play this season.
Chicago (10-30) stopped a four-game losing streak with Wednesday’s 88-64 home victory against Connecticut. Angel Reese sparked the Sky with 18 points and 13 rebounds for her sixth straight double-double.
Reese also was charged with her eighth technical foul of the season and will be suspended for Friday’s game. Battling for a rebound with Aaliyah Edwards of Connecticut, Reese made contact with the side of Edwards’ head.
Asked about the officials’ technical foul calls against Chicago this season — coach Tyler Marsh has been assessed five — Reese responded, “It is what it is.”
The Sky will look to Kamilla Cardoso, who scored 16 points Wednesday, to help fill the void. Reese is Chicago’s top scorer at 14.7 points per game, with Cardoso close behind at 13.4.
Indiana is eyeing a sweep of the five-game season series with Chicago. The Fever earned their four previous victories against the Sky by an average of 24.8 points.
–Field Level Media
