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Indiana Fever make progress, finish gauntlet of opening road schedule

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2 months ago

May 28, 2024

Indiana Fever make progress, finish gauntlet of opening road schedule

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LAS VEGAS — When the ultimate buzzer sounded in Michelob Extremely Area in Las Vegas on Saturday night time, Indiana Fever gamers knew it was lastly time.

Time to return to Indianapolis, and to not one other West Coast vacation spot. Time to sleep in their very own beds and use their very own amenities.

“I’m excited to go dwelling,” Fever guard Lexie Hull stated postgame.

The Fever have had certainly one of (if not the) hardest schedules to start out the 2024 WNBA season. They performed seven video games in 12 days, 5 on the highway. Three got here prior to now 4 days — Wednesday at Seattle, Friday at Los Angeles and Saturday at Las Vegas.

Extra:Fever begin quick, run out of fuel in loss to defending champs

“It was robust, however that is simply our league,” coach Christie Sides stated. “And that is what we now have this yr with the Olympic break. We simply received to step up and be prepared for it. We knew what was coming.”

Indiana is the one staff within the WNBA to play that many video games in such a brief stretch. The New York Liberty, Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics have every performed six, whereas Las Vegas performed 4. The Dallas Wings performed the fewest variety of video games in these 12 days, with three.

The Fever are 1-6. Solely the Washington Mystics (0-6) have a worse report.

Not solely was the journey schedule itself daunting, but additionally the opponents. The Fever performed the highest three groups within the league — the Aces, Liberty and Solar — a mixed 5 instances in that stretch.

Indiana walked away 0-5 from these video games — the one recreation the Fever gained was towards the L.A. Sparks on Friday. Taking away the wins and losses, although, this begin to the season was all about studying for the younger Fever staff.

“It is arduous being on the highway like this and enjoying the groups that we now have, however on the finish of it — in the midst of it, even — we’re gonna be ready for what’s to come back as a result of we have had these robust video games to start out this season,” second-year middle Aliyah Boston stated. “We have had these tough moments the place we’re persevering with to determine us, proceed to determine how you can be fluid on the court docket. It’s gonna repay ultimately, but it surely’s good to go dwelling.”

Indiana ended its highway journey with a 99-80 loss in Las Vegas, and the Fever have been enjoying on the second day of a back-to-back. The gamers have been exhausted — they performed in Los Angeles on Friday night time, then instantly jumped on a aircraft to Las Vegas earlier than they might sleep in a resort mattress.

Nonetheless, they didn’t present it within the first quarter. The Fever have been filled with power, exploding out to a 28-24 lead with a dominating 16 paint factors within the first 10 minutes. Then, it fizzled out.

It was comprehensible they have been drained. However as Las Vegas methodically elevated its result in 5, 10, and ultimately 19 factors by the tip of the sport. It was a lesson in how the Fever have to hold the power alive in each recreation — irrespective of the circumstances.

“We talked about it a number of instances,” Sides stated, “However we simply received to get again to having that power and firing the basketball that we had within the first quarter.”

This week, the Fever could have two days and not using a recreation for the primary time for the reason that season began. Sunday and Monday shall be an off day and a apply day, respectively, earlier than the Sparks come to Indianapolis for a rematch on Tuesday. That may kick off 4 video games in six days, because the Fever can even play the Storm, the Chicago Sky and the Liberty (for a 3rd time this season).

“Enjoying towards the champions, enjoying towards the New York’s, the Connecticut’s, these are one of the best groups within the league,” Sides stated. “That is simply gonna assist us be prepared for these subsequent couple of weeks once we get to play the identical groups once more, and have this expertise beneath our belt.”