Indiana Fever clinched a playoff berth — Christie Sides, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull at shootaround

Christie Sides chy what was your reaction late last night and what was the group text flowing or what was that like well you know we're we act old around here so I think a lot of us were asleep I uh I just couldn't think about it I I didn't I just uh I went to sleep and woke up to a lot of fun text this morning really early I actually set my alarm for midnight to get up and check the score and actually just turned it off didn't even look so um just made for a really exciting morning and um really happy for these guys I mean really happy for these players you mentioned yesterday especially like you're wearing her shirt is that why or is there something else to it yeah no I I really am happy Kelsey Mitchell has been here um and just been through some really hard times and so just throughout this process anytime I thought about making it the playoffs she's top of mind for me because she's she's deserved this and she's um had a really you know she hasn't had the easiest year and um just for her to get this and experience playoffs um for the first time is really incredible you're in so now how do you pause and say okay this is great but we still have something to play for here potential in to move up on a strong stretch here at home this next couple weeks yeah you know we don't plan on changing anything um it is uh still you know pedal to the metal and we just want to make sure that we're doing the things that got us here um it's just what I kind of told the players um this morning in video you know if we would listen to everybody else and only talk about results right being one and eight we wouldn't have been here if it was um something that really that was important to us but all we kept talking about was the things that were important which was effort um just our energy the togetherness the toughness and then the resiliency that really showed up and and that's why I think we're that's why we're here today two Road WIS over the weekend how important was it to be able to go away because ultimately you get the playoffs you got to win on the road yeah yeah you know anytime in this league you go on the road and get wins they're they're huge and um you know Chicago's fighting for a spot um Dallas is fighting for a spot so you know just to go in and win those games and for us to have this momentum going in these players playing the basketball that they are we're just like flowing right here at the right time we just have to keep that moment was there a turning point moment for you this season when you felt like yeah we're starting to click and the playoffs are definitely a possibility yeah you know it was before the the break we had started playing well and then we didn't beat Dallas at Dallas after we had had a really good win on the road against Minnesota um and it just kind of left that bad taste in your mouth um throughout the whole break and we kind I kind of took that and and used that as um momentum to uh try to get these guys to do something different and that break just really changed for us it gave us the rest and also it let them you know build some chemistry with each other and really work on some things in practice I think that really was the the turning point for us LA tonight you could look in college we probably call it a trap game in a tournament setting how do you kind of get your girls dialed in they seem to be really relaxed and ready to go and just kind of take care of business tonight yeah you know that's kind of the way we've been business like you know we really tried to not be too high not too low it's really hard not to be too high today um you know with our our clenching but it is uh it's just another another game for us and just to build towards you know our goal of doing something in the playoffs I'm seeing them so loose pre game shoot around all of this have you felt that these last three weeks or so that there just seems to be a lightness about this team yeah that's that's we've really the coaching staff has talked about that it's just been something that you know with a young team it's like you got to fill things out and um that's their personality and um you know we don't want them to to overthink just you know keep doing what they're doing and keep that confidence we six games in a row at home now what has a home game here become like for your team yeah I mean our our games at home are are playoff championship games with the feel from the fans I mean the fans are are incredible I mean just to it gets so loud in here at times when when good things are happening and you know they're they're that Sixth Man for us um uh just just a really exciting time for for the fever knowing how it gets during just a regular season game have you even dared to dream about what a playoff game might be in this building I mean if it's any better than it already is that's uh that's going to be pretty incredible Alison made her announcement this morning what what would you think back about your relationship and and growing it back to becoming a playoff team again yeah you know Allison's done so much um I was with her as an assistant um it was right when she came in and then you know she and I built a relationship and then you know to come back and to work for her for these last couple years um she's that person if you need anything you give her a call and she finds a way to get it done and I'm really happy for her and what she's going going to do she is a powerful woman who empowers other women and girls and that's what she's going to do with her new Journey really excited for her Kelsey you said you've been to the Kelsey Mitchell bottom you felt it so now given that how much sweeter does this feel I'm just grateful man I'm here to do my work uh be right by my team and the organization that's obviously a really big step for us but it's not enough um clenching is always a good step but it's more got go do more it's more that we want to accomplish and it's more out there to get and that's what I want I think that's what my team want too but uh this is definitely a Sur Real moment I'm definitely grateful from where I started and here's the more I guess mhm so not being content and got stay focused the right thing is you stay focused on what's the main thing and that's stack it up as many days and wins as much as possible so you set yourself up for a playoff run you know making it is one thing but being a part of it for longevity is different and I got to be a mindset kind of you know how much momentum do you feel with this team right now and then given that you're going to play the next six at home yeah how how good do you feel right now uh man it's a it's a really big moment in our locker room and organization the r in a room right now is really really H but as I said you can you can never this is where time at the times like this you can't get content um I think our mindset consistently stay working um stay focused on what's right but the aroma in the room is definitely a lot of confidence and I think that we kind of got to give ourselves some Grace and you know take that confidence because we know where we were when we started this and so it feel good to kind of like see you know those adjustments and some of those changes be made regarding our locker room and who we are as a team so I'm excited you've played a lot of games in this building have you ever stopped to think about play playing a playoff game in this building you feel like oh man for sure I did I did uh play in the Big 10 Championship here so I felt the atmosphere um back when I was in college a little bit but it's nothing like being a pro and doing it so yeah man that that'll be us a real moment as well but um I think I'm a taking a stde right now and keep stacking in many wins in the regular season and see what that feel like first what has led to so many players starring in the role right now um I think getting to know who who your team is um I think that we took a lot of time off the off the floor with a break uh we did zip lining we did you know together activities team activities we ate dinner together and so you know you got a chance to know who each person was off off the floor and you give them gratitude you know you don't know people's stories and so collectively we took all the what we knew um in that Olympic break and we kind of put it together on the court now you get to see it and you maybe more than anyone is this the is this maybe the best you felt and what you've been able to produce on the court on a pro level uh on a pro level cuz you're also getting the results as well ah yeah man I think from an individual play um me personally I think I've you know always tried to like Perform This Way um I think you know in my in my experience you know some people caught on late but for me the work has always been there and I think now KN that you're winning um you get to see it on a different level and so I am proud of that I'm with you know people that want to win just as much as me so how much opportunity do you still see Kelsey in terms of playoff position oh for sure I I don't think I don't know what playoff Kelsey is because I've never experienced it uh but I know what who I am and what I bring to the table and I know my strengths I know my weaknesses and that's why I'm here so I'm going to keep getting better and keep working on what's right um but playoff kelse is I don't know who that is but hopefully I'm prepared for those moments and prepared for um that experience when it comes I meant more in terms of the team being able to move up in the in the playoff seating oh yeah for sure yeah I think that uh for us if we can keep collecting these wins and stay focused on the right thing we'll put ourselves in even better position than just clinching and so you're right I think that the focus should be different and more if we can keep cing that Li while we in a regular season that'd be nice for us Chrissy Lexie Hull said she didn't stay up to see the other teams lose and you guys clinch did you stay up and if so what was kind of your reaction when you got the news I went to bed with like 5 minutes left in the fourth but um definitely was keeping a close eye throughout the game and when we found out I I think everyone just super excited and is definitely something we we've been working towards season's not over but just to have that kind of taken care of it's a great feeling considering where you guys started where the season started to where you are now not just wins but the chemistry the looseness The Joy um I mean how big a growth has has it felt like from inside it feels a lot different I think everyone can can attest to that that we're we just having a lot of fun out there um I think it's fun to watch it's fun to be on the court it's fun to be on the bench it's just fun to be part of this team and follow along this journey and it's crazy to think that where we started the season and I think you know there were doubts from the fans doubts from people that didn't know where we would go for the year and to be where we are today we're just really proud of ourselves how do you find that balance that now hey great we're in but you have an opportunity to climb a couple seats here to keep the winning going and kind of keep this momentum going you had in August into September yeah you know it's it's great to to have it clenched but it's not over like we said you know we're taking every game as it comes really focused on the game in front of us really focused on the game night against Los Angeles and I'm just excited to see you know where by the end of the regular season where we're sitting good second half these last two games what was this team doing after halftime Chicago Dallas that you've kind of missed out on a couple games prior M I think it's just shows our grit and and that we're taking full Focus for 40 minutes um that's what it takes to win games in this league and I think you see that our team is just growing in that aspect we're we're maturing um basketball wise I like to go on the road and kind of be the home team as far as as The Crowd Goes and really be able to feel that the theater fans show out just about everywhere we go we can hear them we can feel them we love them um and it's just it's fun to play in front of them now the momentum how would you describe it given six home games in a row now too yeah it's it's growing you can feel it um I I I mean every time we play here the fans are getting louder and louder every they're on the edge of their seat you know they're eating it up so we know that we have them throughout the course of the game and it's it's just another it's another player for us so we really appreciate it you mentioned how crazy the fans have been and how excited they get have you stopped to think about what a playoff game in this building might feel like well I was here for a few of the play Pacers playoff games and if it feels anything like that I mean we're we're really excited what's kind of led to everyone embracing kind of starring in their own role has that been just since the break and since the more time together but seems like so many of you have now thrived and been more comfortable and confident within whatever you're doing yeah I think it's just you know having confidence in each other um and I've said that before but it feels like everybody believes in every person and what their role is and what they can bring to this team and we know that every night's going to look a little different every game is going to look different someone's going to have to step up and it's just really great to see everyone doing that