The Indiana Fever has already achieved its first goal of the season: qualifying for the WNBA playoffs. Now, the team faces a new challenge-defeating the Atlanta Dream, a squad that has struggled throughout the year. Head coach Stephanie White believes she has the perfect strategy to take down their postseason nemesis.
During the regular season, both teams split their matchups. The Fever won 99-82 and 81-76, while the Dream edged out victories at 91-90 and 77-58. Home-court advantage didn’t play a decisive role either, with each team winning and losing once on their own turf.
Statistically, the series is a toss-up. Indiana boasts the third-best offense in the league, while Atlanta counters with the second-best defense. The real difference may lie on the other end of the court: the Fever ranks seventh in defense, while the Dream holds the second-best offensive rating.
Complicating matters, Indiana lost five players to injury during the regular season-including star guard Caitlin Clark. White acknowledged the team’s vulnerabilities and emphasized the need for defensive discipline to compensate.
White’s message to the Fever
Atlanta finished third overall in the regular season. Their size and three-point shooting make them a dangerous opponent. “Their size at most all positions has been a challenge for us,” White admitted during a pregame press conference.
To counter Atlanta’s physicality, White stressed the importance of smart execution. “We’ve got to make sure we find the right shot on the offensive end. We’ve got to make sure the ball continues to move and we get defenses in rotation,” she explained.
But defense remains the cornerstone of White’s strategy. “We’ve got to be solid,” she said. “We’ve got to protect the paint, certainly, but we can’t afford to allow teams to get a lot of threes and a lot of free throw attempts against us.”
Indiana’s depleted roster
The absence of top shooters Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham adds pressure. White is fully aware of the challenge. “We’re not matching them threes for threes anymore with the lineup we have. So we’ve really got to guard the three-point line and keep them off the free throw line.”
The series is single-elimination, and Atlanta holds home-court advantage. If the Fever hopes to advance to the second round, they’ll need to execute White’s strategy flawlessly-and prove they’re more than just Caitlin Clark’s supporting cast.
Read the full article here
