Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark and Christie Sides address reporters before Fever vs Chicago Sky

in what ways would you say you guys are a different team from maybe were the last time you play this guy here yeah I mean what was that June or July we played in here last before the break so I feel like both teams are quite a bit different I think for us especially like I think obviously we're playing some different lineups I think we're playing with much more Tempo um I think that's why we've seen us have more success I think we're just playing at faster phase especially on offense that's where we found a lot of our success is when we push the ball um but obviously that starts on defense I think our defense has also improved and that was probably our main Focus point over the break and lucky enough we were able to have quite a bit of our team other than Wally who was at the Olympics um in Indianapolis and we I it was basically training camp all over it was long days and you know we were competing at a very high level like we just played a lot and I think our defense improved there um so I think it starts on the defensive end but at the same time that's allowed us to push and be better offensively as well Kayla you're playing at a totally different pace at this half of the Season what would you say has contributed to you get work comforable I think just time honestly um I think you got to be able to feel at your teammates and understand you know you want them to understand you and you have to be able to understand them and um I think that that took us a little bit of time obviously we didn't have much practice together when we first started the season and then obviously I'm just going to get more comfortable as the more games I play um so I think just all that combined into one it's allowed me to kind of build some confidence I think especially going into the break we had some good games and some big wins um and was able to build some confidence there and then over the break you know just getting to work on some stuff that I wanted to work on and then our team getting to work together I think that continue to build confidence and then obviously the way we've started since the break has certainly just been you know stepping stones after that what time planing this guy they're notorious for trying to speed you up pressure in the full court what would you have to be intentional about to try to minimize those turnovers and play at your pace yeah I think you know you never want to let any team you know dictate how you're going to play the game um I think that's going to be important you know we want to play at our Pace um we want to play fast we don't want any team to slow us down or speed us up we want to just play right where we want to play so um um I think that'll be important you know turnovers always something that you know we kind of preach we don't want them to score points off of our turnovers that's very important I think there's obviously a difference between a good turnover and a bad turnover and limiting the bad ones will be huge for us lot of times lot of times there's in the rookie they raised there's one obvious as person but for you and Angel to both kind of be going out of Bo how fun is that when when there's a competition element to a big award like that I mean I think me and Angel would both give you the same answer like you don't wake up and think about individual Awards I know that's what all of you think we do I know we don't like that's what everybody wants to make this about but like we both both of our teams are competing for playoff spots like that's our main focus that's a selfish thing to just care about an individual award and she would give you the same exact answer I'm sure she has given you the same exact answer so um for us like everybody can write that but our focus is on winning basketball games it's simple as that like it's winning basketball games and that was the same story for us when we were in college like if you're playing basketball to get win individual awards no matter what level you're at you're doing it wrong and that's not fun and that's not being a good teammate you see you talk with Christy at practice all the time sides to be clear um how was your Synergy with her especially in games developed throughout the season I think it just goes back to building relationships um that's very important for me I think that allows you to have really good connection really good chemistry and I think as the point guard you have to understand what your coach is thinking um most of the time you need to be on the same page because things aren't going to go well for your team if you're not on the same page so um I think for myself is just getting to understand her like obviously coming in here it's like the same as new teammates it's you got a new coach you have to understand them and what they want to and being on the same page and just building that trust between one another and um we have like a lot of those same con uh conversations during practice is like she's like I want you to call the plays I want you to have that that leadership on the court because during the games like the crowd's going be loud she's not going to be able to tell me every single play to run so I think it's just like building that in practice so we're ready in the games as well do you have a game where you could feel like way all of a sudden you're like oh I'm way more comfortable calling the plays or having that sort of moment happen or is it still growing then I feel like it's still growing um I think you know you always want to think about as a point guard like putting how I can I put my teammates in a position to be successful who's just made a shot who needs a shot things like that so like those are all things that I'm kind of thinking of as I go to call play all all trying to manage myself at the same time so I think it's a lot but like as a point guard that's what what's fun for me you get to pick pick apart the game of basketball um and also try to make your teammates better make your team better at the same time and also try to be on the same page as the coaches so you're trying to balance a lot and I think for myself like that's only going to continue continue to improve and I think it's night and day different from when we first started the season you might you might not want to focus on the individual Awards angel either but you all both have talked about wanting to grow the game how big is it the fact that there are these conversations about you two with Rookie of the Year both of you guys are in a playoff push I mean in terms of keeping the interest or keeping that interest and attention on the game yeah I think it's great I mean you always want people to talk about women's basketball and you know hopefully it's done in a way where it's positive about the game and how amazing the game is and how great the players are and um I think appreciating this league for what it is and how many amazing players are in this league and um there's a lot of amazing other games other than just the fever in the sky and appreciating that too like um I've been one that's always supported the WNBA and loved having it on and love watching it and I do the same now that I'm in the league I try to watch as many games as I can not even from the standpoint of like I want to know what they're doing but just as a fan like I love watching the game like I just love basketball I have men's basketball on I have women's basketball on all the time like I'm just a fan of the game and I think the more we can grow that um across the board in the WNBA is going to be huge last one the busy schedule right now almost mimics the start um of the season you've talked about the growth of chemistry from the start until now but I'm also just curious you know how how do you think you guys as a team yourself handled the travel as well yeah I think you know it's hard especially when you're you're going on long road trips and you have days in between to prep and sometimes you can't practice sometimes you can but at the same time you have to remind yourself like every team's dealing with the same thing like you're not special in any way so um there's no excuses I think for us um especially making this last push we're lucky enough where we have quite a few home games um there September after this road trip where we go here and then Dallas I think we only have one more trip after that so the ones at home are super important and then I think as a as a professional athlete like you have to be able to take care of your body um whether that's sleep whether that's nutrition whether that's getting the proper recovery and um you know that's kind of on your shoulders to take care of nobody's going to be there to babysit you um and I think our our group has done a really good job of that and you know this last push that's going to be important one for me when it comes to Caitlyn's turnovers how like how comfortable are you with obviously a certain number of turnovers coming from her level of aggressiveness as far as the way you know she plays the game yeah I'm just curious how you make like peace with that is it an okay thing like what oh no turnovers are never okay sure um but you know what just the way she plays you have to give her a little Grace but um you know she she has a a vision that sees things that sometimes other players on the court just don't see and sometimes they're just not ready um that's where we've grown because I think now our players are really um are starting to understand what she sees and and putting themselves in those positions to to take catch those passes uh that she's making so yeah um a couple games ago I think she only had two she was really proud about that game we talked about that one for sure so what's the number you'd like like to see her at I love two two would be awesome yeah that'd be great um you know that's just how the game's going you know we we talk about flow and when you have to really um execute offense and take care of the basketball During certain spells we tend to have um like some runs that happen to us that a lot of it has to do with our turnovers first and then um us just giving up transition baskets and then either a turn over our bad shot or trying to get it back so um you just trying to limit those and especially those moments uh given with what you saw of Lexi's performance the other night was just curious if she was going to get another St tonight oh yeah let's see our person their front Court can be so special any given night what do you think of what they do what do you guys have to do to combat that especially given the way you play at the tempo you have yeah you know I think um for sure all five of our players you know list and ab and all the post players like to get out and run I think that's to our advantage if they're running running the floor um I I challenged them all last night i' shoot around today just you know these guys are there's three of the top offensive rebounders on the court out there between cardoso and Angel and and ab so you know we got to make sure that we are limiting those uh those Second Chance points for them that's that's a real Str strength of theirs um just got to make sure all five are blocking out you talked about flow you want Kaylin Clark and Boston playing well together obviously to get them started early what is required to get them in sync early in a game like this yeah you know we like to always try to initiate um post touches early I think if we can get some post touches get AB or list some touches down low it kind of makes the defense kind of sink in and creep in which opens up everything for those Shooters and um you know we're shooting the ball extremely well right now I'm a knock on some wood and so just want to make sure that you know once we establish that and that opens up everything for those outside players um and those shs coach uh you talked about KY a lot lately how well she's playing she comes in she's kind of been was the focal point and then oia comes in then Caitlyn comes in you're kind of you know the offense is changing and the the style is changing how is like her versatility and selflessness kind of made this all work yeah I mean she is uh I say every time I talk about Kelsey just a special player um her she's so Dynamic uh her speed her quickness you know you run a few things for her back door action or coming off a pin down or stagger her speed gets her open I mean sometimes they can't catch I mean they even if they don't get hit on the screens um but she's you know she can get downhill um she's playing such good defense right now for us as well which is a part of her game that you know um she really wanted to get better at um so just all around she's just um she's getting some great looks because of what you said with Caitlyn and Aaliyah taking some of the attention off of her when it's just been on her so she's getting to take some wide open shots that she hasn't had any pass when you don't have Katy Lou you went to that three guard group a bunch in the last game do you feel like you're experimenting with those a little bit how comfortable are you with them and what do you like about what they provide you yeah I think that just you know it kind of depends on the Personnel of the other team whether we're able to do that or not um that gives us a lot of speed um which is which is good it also help you know that's that's a pretty good defensive lineup as well um so just you know whatever is needed in that moment um with the uh team that we're playing you know that can kind of um we can kind of go to that lineup if if we need that um but yeah you know like I said like we're we're we're looking to play the people that are can help us put ourselves in position to win games so you mentioned curo and she's kind of in a different place than she was maybe the first three times you guys play what have you seen from her since the break that worries you more in first G yeah um she is uh taking her time I feel like she was trying to make something happen when she got in earlier and now she's getting touches um she's just such great size and she has great hands um you know she tipped the ball in their game the other night and then took off running to the rim and out ran everybody to get a layup right to start that game um she's just you know she's just one of these players out of this class that just is going to keep getting better she's going to be a great I'm just what do you like about aiyah and M together you think they'll have some more time together with the sky on yeah I I uh We've experimented that with that a little bit and um I think that's opened up ab a little bit on the inside with the way uh DD is able to shoot the ball she's hit some big threes for us so she's just able to to spread the the defense and and ab's able to work in there and if they want to choose to come in and try to double AB you know we've got um options out on the perimeter to knock shots Downy earlier we were talking about defense and how you want to see the team improve in that area for that Improvement to happen is it about consistency is it adding more layers to it is about individual defense team like what does that Improvement like what would that look like to you yeah first it starts with the ball pressure and that's something that we hadn't really done a great job uh in the past and that's what we really focused on just you've got to make people feel you and we weren't doing that early and then we did a really good job of like executing the initial actions of opposing teams whether pin down or stack but then once the ball moved and the offense was broken now we've got to break down and guard our man be loaded up um on that help side and so just understanding all those a lot of times we weren't on that nail in that 29 spot we were over guarding our man when we needed to be help our team defense so just all those things just being able to work on those has we've gotten better at being in those right spots which has made us a better defensive team