'The best I've seen it.' Fever snap skid, show signs of adapting to Stephanie White's system

Indianapolis Star

3 days ago

INDIANAPOLIS — Stephanie White never wants her players to be caught standing with the ball.
They always need to be doing something, whether it's driving, shooting or passing, ideally within a half-second of getting the ball in their hands.
'A big focus for us is point-five basketball,' Fever guard Lexie Hull said. 'Get the ball and do something with it, either drive, pass, shoot, and just trying to make those right reads and make them quick. I think it helps that when our spacing is good, those reads are way easier. And I think that's really what it comes down to.'
It's not a perfect system. It hasn't always worked, especially early in White's return as Fever coach. Players need time to get used to how White wants to play, and get used to making those quick reads. But that kind of play, that kind of quick movement, is something the Fever strive for every game.
On Tuesday, it worked well enough for the Fever to break a three-game losing streak. Indiana avenged its week-old loss to the Mystics, taking down Washington, 85-76, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
'This was the best I've seen it,' White said. 'It hasn't been that way as much, you know, and we have our tendencies. When things are really flowing, you see it, and you can see it develop, and you can see how it gets us the best shot on the floor. I think our challenge, or our growth edge, is to be able to do that in times of a little bit of adversity.'
The Fever have been without their star guard and first-team All-WNBA player, Caitlin Clark, for three games because of a quad strain. She will be out at least one more game against the Chicago Sky before she's reevaluated June 9, and it's very possible she will be out longer — whether it's to continue her recovery or ramp up return-to-play conditioning.
Clark is the backbone to everything the Fever do offensively. She sets the tone, brings the ball up the floor and brings defenders out 35 feet from the basket. She consistently gets double-teamed, and that spacing consistently leaves her teammates open.
With her out, the Fever need another way to space the floor. They needed to lock in on their spots and be able to move without the ball. It took them a few games to figure it out, but they seemed to find a way against the Mystics.
'I think our team just played really well together,' Hull said. 'We got to spots, and we made the extra pass and… a lot of our points were off of assists (21 assists on 30 baskets), and that's all we can really ask for for a team. So just really, I'm just so happy with the outcome of the game and how everyone felt out there. It was fun.'
A crucial part of that spacing, and the defensive intensity that held the Mystics to just 1-of-10 from the 3-point line, was emergency hardship player Aari McDonald.
McDonald signed with the Fever on Sunday under a rule that allows the Fever to go over the cap to sign a replacement player if they have less than 10 available players on their standard roster. With both Clark and Cunningham out with injuries, Indiana is at nine.
She had two days to learn the system, watching film on her flight to Indianapolis and went through one practice and one shootaround with the team.
Still, she looked like she's been on the Fever the whole time. Playing 27 minutes off the bench, she led the team with five assists and three steals. She orchestrated a fast-paced offense, something Indiana has been struggling with since Clark was sidelined.
On the defensive end, she drew three offensive fouls in the span of eight minutes and stole the ball three times.
She didn't shoot the ball like Clark does, going 2-of-7 from the field for seven points, but she didn't need to — Indiana has enough other scorers to fill the gap while Clark is out. She did what she needed to do as a point guard: position her teammates and get them the ball in a space to score.
'She did everything amazingly and with such grace,' Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said. 'And I think for us, we could use what she brings us to the table offensively and defensively. She can guard the ball. She can get us all positioned to get shots, and I think most importantly, she's fun to play with.'
McDonald is an intense, fast-paced player. She's not afraid to play tough defense, even standing at 5-6. She's fast, evidenced by her scoring the Fever's first transition points in three games, and she knows how to play in that half-second basketball White emphasizes.
It's the type of basketball she thrives in — enough that she could see herself on this team before she even got the call.
That's what makes her such a good fit for what the Fever need right now.
'My style of play is just playing fast,' McDonald said. 'When I was at home watching games, Indiana was one of the teams that I would watch, and I was like, 'I can kind of see myself playing.' Great system, and I'm happy that they made me comfortable enough to play my game. It felt amazing and exciting.'
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at [e-mail] or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67.