Scott Agness recaps Indiana Fever loss to Las Vegas Aces — Caitlin Clark contained, offense slowed

the Indiana Fever were back ated Wednesday night their fourth game of a six game home stand that will allow for them to be in their own beds for almost 16 days they're playing back-to-back games against the Champs the Las Vegas Aces visiting for their first time this season doing it all at once and they were handled by the aces in their first two meetings but that was a long time ago you have to go back to the first couple weeks of the season and then to early July so uh that's both before the Olympic break it's also a time where the fever are much different much better continuity much better Talent um and more than anything they're just playing together so uh very interested obviously to see what these teams looked like and for the aces they were much healthier um coming back here even though Asia Wilson was questionable coming into this game now both programs have clinch play off spots though seeding is still on the line in heading into this game and for the fever a better chance to understand what it takes to become a champ and what they are made of when you're going against the best that the league has seen over the last several years even more again it's a two- game minseries so you can approach it like the playoffs that's how the fever handled it you play a game you adjust you can learn and you go back to it and you play the same team again Friday night the fever LED 7 nothing we saw Becky Hammond the head coach of the aces use a timeout 36 seconds into the game I thought Carlile was out here but no the Champs Rose to the top maintained a lead was able to distance themselves in the very end for an 8675 win over the fever Wednesday night you know we're going to make some adjustments we can't you know Asia shot probably 10 of her made baskets were at the free throw line I mean she was hitting that high post jumper so we a lot of times that happened in our pick and roll scheme where we were having to come over and help on on a chug and we were having to get back to ours in the corner so we'll we'll clean that up tomorrow um but then just not allowing people to come in that you know aren't able to you know put up these kind of numbers we can't let those players come in and be relevant yeah obviously a tough night shooting the ball um it's going to happen it's basketball um one of those nights overall like I didn't feel like I played bad I felt as a group we really struggled to make shots that we had been making really since the start of the second half and sometimes that's basketball um I mean they're a great defensive team you know they're going to be physical with me they're strong um so that can kind of wear you down through the process of game I thought the game feel very choppy like it didn't feel like there was any moments where the crowd could get into it where we could really get into a flow it's not all bad I think that you know considering when we used to play the Vegas Aces especially this year alone on our first game um and you look back to this what third or fourth game I I mean I hats off to our group because we came a lot of different ways um on both ends in the floor and if we could have got you know extra possession here in there offensively of course I think that we would had a better position and you know go and get what you guys usually see but you know life happens um shots don't always fall and I think it's a quter of the game impressively the game Drew another sellout crowd 177,000 274 despite it being Wednesday night we're now in school nights for kids right and yet the place was filled from top to bottom but they didn't see a great performance from the fever not like we have seen here in recent weeks a lot of different factors going into it um in this one but they were still within a few possessions late they got to within one um but mostly it was a bad second quarter that was costly as they were outscored 21 to4 in that period by the aces headed into the locker room the other thing was Caitlyn Clark and the fever never really found an offensive Rhythm all game long it was choppy as Caitlyn says and she finished with just 16 points shot a career-high 22 field goals only made six of them and went one of 10 from three-point range and especially with the type defense they're going to play they're going to be physical they're going to be in your space like we have to set and use screens better um but defensively I think I'm proud of our group oh I think most of her shots if you go back and look at them they all hit the front of the rim and I think that overtime game the other night just kind of really uh I mean they did there were times they look really you know they were tired and that you know when your shots falling short like that that's just a huge indication of that Clark 16 points it was their lowest output since July 2nd the opponent these Las Vegas Aces so what was it the same old storyline they have a good game plan to guard Clark they also have a lot of talent that's the number one thing right but they were throwing different B IES at her um throughout the game they were being very physical with her they were making her uncomfortable and the officials weren't helping out in terms of uh allowing that contact and so when she would retaliate and throw be physical back she was called for a couple offensive fouls did not draw a technical but has to be very careful about that with five technicals on the season as they wrap up this regular season but I really think the aces of any team have done the best job defending Clark that we've seen all season and it's also because they've done it as as a group it hasn't just been one player pressing her making her uncomfortable all that long so post game I asked Christy sides how do you jump start the offense what more do you need to see but I kind of felt like we kept the ball on one side of the floor a lot more than um when we needed to you know a lot of times if they were in a pick and roll they read it Kaylin she got it to like AB or that pose like we were looking to go right back to the same side and not get the ball to the opposite side you know that's going to be a Kelsey probably um so we just need do a better job of of um getting to that second and third side making them work a little bit harder they're all really good Defenders they're physical they're strong um the offensive fouls are definitely surprising at times um you know I feel like I do get held and get quite a bit of contact throughout the games and then you get hit with some of those when you take some contact and give contact back um it is what it is I mean I don't know I don't know like apparently they see something different and then we have to use our challenge to try to not have let AB have a fifth foul in the third quarter that basically takes her out of the game we lose a challenge we lose a timeout so that's tough as well um but I mean they're going to be Vis they're going to do it again it worked um but that's what I should expect at this point that's kind of what every team does um I think I can use my quickness a little bit better this Las Vegas team has all the talent they have two time MVP maybe three time here soon in Asia Wilson she was dominant finishing with a game high 27 points 12 rebounds and you could see early on in the game uh things that The Fever can correct moving forward you think to uh her getting the ball at the high post and knocking down four straight jumpers free throw line jumpers wide open that's her sweet spot that's easy and you could count them every single time as she made four in a row and so after trailing 7 nothing after the aces missed their first seven shots they started to get a rhythm something that The Fever were without for much of this game again it's a two game series so now while the fever won't officially hold a practice mostly because of fatigue to those starters uh they will get together they will watch film they'll make some corrections make some adjustments heading into this final matchup of the season and their four game series coming up on Friday but in this one and on Friday it gives the fever a firsthand look of what it takes to become a champion like it did with the aces uh a process that took about five years I think the one thing I saw the group and of stress was a dog mentality to get the next St um we had you know made made a stretch and made a really good running down the stretch of the game and I think that they turned it on during that timeout and I think that you know great teams turn into a different person a different Beast a different group when you come out of atos and you you know do certain things and need certain things and I think you know they didn't Tu with your quote unquote tail you know they kind of came out in that time out and kind of went on another run and I think that's what you see from the best Kelsey Mitchell led the team with 24 points but they didn't get much help outside of their back court uh in total they got just what 11 points from their bench and they need a lot more minutes from their bench I know in the playoffs you usually tighten your rotation but just even to get there it' be nice to get a little bit of help from that bench we're seeing these Starters play extensive minutes even Caitlyn acknowledged that you know she went she took herself out of the game six minutes in to get a quick breather and jump back out there ultimately playing about 37 38 minutes if not for that break she would have been out there again for every single minute last game went into overtime that was 45 minutes that they were out there now we are seeing Timmy F bleay contribute some Erica Wheeler They still need more out of Katie L Samson we saw Christy Wallace for the first time in a couple weeks I think that's something we'll see over these final three games again from Christy sides the fever coach is can she get a little bit more out of her bench which could also help keep those starters fresh um they're playing every other day right now that makes things difficult you can see them being tired sides talked about Caitlyn shot coming up short those are all the things that you have to factor in going into Friday where the fever are hoping for a much different performance the 50-50 balls the outworking you know taking that foul you know that aggressive foul not mean to hurt anybody but obviously you know we got to be intentional with everything we do um going into Friday and we can't play around with it I think that we all kind of like lapsed and we kind of like took whatever you know we took whatever they gave us and we didn't have to um and so I think going into our next maturation our next group and our next phase of Friday we can't take anything we have to punch first and when they do punch back we got to be able to stand up and get back to it I still feel like we haven't really given them the best that we have um so I think Friday is a great opportunity for us to do that Friday's game can be seen nationally on ION for those in attendance expect certainly another sellout against these Las Vegas Aces a big crowd of notable Fe people by the way in the crowd Tyrese Halbert Miles Turner jeris Walker of the Pacers former Colts coach Chuck bagano Darius Rucker sitting Courtside also the Iowa coaches here because of Caitlyn and on the other side you have two Iowa players including rookie Kate Martin and something I plan to write about here in the coming days but you can watch that game it's their uh they have that game then Sunday are their final two home games in the regular season heading into the playoffs then they'll make a quick trip to our nation's capital in Washington DC then it's on to the playoffs so we'll see how they respond coming up on Friday now make sure you're subscribed to my channel here that you're also subscribe to my substack Fieldhouse files.com so that whenever I post a story those stories are delivered right to your inbox right away reporting from gamebridge Fieldhouse I'm Scott Agnes of Fieldhouse files.com