It’s always hard to keep quiet and keep it all in when you lose in something that has plenty at stake. And that’s exactly what the Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White do: She let out her frustrations after losing Game 2, nitpicking the calls in the game.
“Well it’s hard for us to find flow when there’s a foul called every 10 seconds. I mean it just really is,” White said. “When they are at the free throw line, we can’t get up and down the floor and that’s a challenge. They were much more aggressive and physical defensively. We didn’t counter that with our off ball actions and back cuts.”
The Fever trailed big from the start and never recovered, and Stephanie White pointed to both the officiating and her team’s lack of response as reasons for the defeat. “They took us out of our comfort zone. Offense is about rhythm, timing and spacing. We allowed them to do that and they kept us from doing it,” she added.
While fouls played a role, the Fever’s execution left plenty to be desired. The players couldn’t establish consistency and their offense stalled early. White emphasized that adjustments are needed fast if they want to keep their season alive.
Stephanie White isn’t just frustrated with whistles. She wants her team to be more decisive and tougher in the face of physical defense. That will be the true test heading into Game 3.
Stephanie White Reacts To Kelsey Mitchell’s Struggles In Game 2
On top of the Indiana Fever not showing up and Stephanie White’s outrage, Kelsey Mitchell had a rare quiet night. White’s assessment: Mitchell looks worn down.
“I mean the physicality won,” White explained. “She is like a little pin ball. I know the museum is just right down the street. There are some times I feel she is getting pinged around everywhere. Also, she has played heavy minutes for us. She looked a little fatigued. Some shots that she typically makes that she didn’t.”
Maybe it was the opponent’s plan all along. Add constant and debilitating pressure on Kelsey Mitchel that disrupted her rhythm. Defenders were matching and cutting off her pace, and they made forced errors with Kelsey’s jumpers rendering them ineffective. On top of Stephanie White not being able to solve that defensive paradox, the workload she may have placed on Mitchell’s shoulders maybe a tad too heavy.
The Fever will need Mitchell back at her best in Game 3. Stephanie White needs to find a way to manage Kelsey, and the rest of the teams, physicality and not just rely on their comeback.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
