Indiana Fever could not beat Atlanta Dream in their first WNBA Playoffs game and ended up falling 80-68 at the Gateway Center.
However, it was the third-seeded Dream coach Karl Smesko who had something to talk about before the game, when he commented on Stephanie White‘s work with the Fever.
Coach to coach
In the matchup, Kelsey Mitchell shined despite the loss: in 33 minutes of action, she scored a game-high 27 points. Odyssey Sims was the only other player to reach double figures, with 10 points.
Meanwhile, Atlanta had a brilliant performance from Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, who scored 20 points each, in 35 and 32 minutes of play, respectively.
Despite this, before getting the first playoff win, Karl Smesko praised Indiana’s head coach to the press:
“Their pace is just excellent,” said the head coach in his first year at Atlanta. “They cut so hard and they’re going to get it across half court in seconds. They’re going to give themselves time to get a shot. They know exactly what they’re looking for and they’re not easy to guard. They’re going to make you pay all day.”
The truth is that the team has managed to qualify for the playoffs with two of its stars like Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham watching from the sidelines. In addition, Damiris Dantas, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson and Chloe Bibby are also unable to contribute, the first of them being the only one of the 6 players with a chance to return to the game. And, thanks to teamwork and White’s guidance, they were able to weather all the injuries that doused Fever.
Meanwhile, after the loss, Indiana must secure a win in the second game on Tuesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse if they want to avoid elimination. In this way, they would force a third game, in which they will have to go for everything to continue advancing.
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