"Unanimous ROTY" - Rebecca Lobo on Caitlin Clark historic performance vs. Angel Reese to beat Sky

and it continues from New York to Chicago where it's these two Sensational rookies Caitlyn Clark Angel Reese for the last time this regular season she leads lead in assists Angel Reese in rebounds Jersey backwards sha was there he's the one in the middle first quarter fever down Six tamy Fab benle forcing a steal and then getting rewarded and actually Randy you just returned from a trip and that was that was a nice little travel there yeah that's probably a carryon uhhuh right there all good still counted for two fantastic dish from Clark and then the movement from the fever who needed that break and their Stars needed it deserved it 5 and N from distance for Clark and she wasn't done off the handoff Fantastic trying to get the fever to 500 or better for the first time since May of 2022 Randy they have spent 103 games under 500 they're 15 and 16 pton Clark gets the hoop and the harm did that go in it did under a minute and a half to go fever up by five and that's easy Aaliyah Boston with the steel had of them and then the deep dish you thought we weren't going to get a deep dish in Chicago are you kidding me 15 points and five assists for Clark that's 11 consecutive games doing that passing Diana terasi for the longest streak in WNBA history but wait there's more up six make that nine it's another triple she liked that one fourth quarter fever up by 16 by the way Kelsey Mitchell 23 points this to Aaliyah Boston 22 minutes hits the jumper that's cash Clark's 10th assist has 264 of them this season that's 6 most all time not for a rookie we're talking six Mo all time that's her fifth triple 4 minutes to go 9671 getting a little physical oh Mark she's okay with it she is well rested it's Diamond the shields who would be assessed the flagrant one Clark would hit the free throw a career-high 31 points 12 assists fever 181 winners they are at 500 Clark what's good honestly like I felt like it was like just a smooth game for us like I just felt like we were flowing well out there like it just felt like pretty basketball like and sometimes I think as a basketball player like you can just feel it I just had a lot of fun playing like I thought we played with a lot of joy we played at uptempo we shared the ball well that's how you build your confidence is just one day at a time but I think our confidence is you know at an alltime high where it's been this all season so to is their standing right now they are sixth in the WNBA Caitlyn Clark dominated once again bringing the fever to a 500 record for that first time since the A4 mentioned May of 2022 it was her four fourth game scoring and assisting on 50 or more points that's the most in a season in WNBA history for reference all other rookies in league history have combined group and really got you guys going into the second quarter on yeah I think our defense got a lot better especially in transition um and honestly like they just made some threes on us and you know we just kind of pushed through that that part of the game and I thought minus the first six minutes we were really really good um I don't know what they scored out I I think I had 2 won at that point when we called timeout and then after that I thought we played pretty good defense so I'm proud of us nobody panicked um we kind of just settled in into the game but we definitely need to get off to a better start Kelsey this offense almost seems frantic at times watching it from a distance but you all seem to find the focus when the shots start to go how does that Dynamic work that it's look like it's just a level 12 but you all maintain it uh I think it's a a matter of our chemistry um we've really taken time as teammates to really get to know each other on and up the on and up the court and I think it serves to what you see now and I think even though it might look a different way to you we've already established what our chemistry is and how we want to play and I think um for us we got a unbelievable chemistry now to where it's unspoken and so you get to see it even if you don't understand it trust me we get it we we understand what going on Caitlyn you seem to be having a very fun time at the end of that game can you describe kind of your feelings that obviously a great shooting great assist the the numbers and and just the exhilaration The Joy whatever you were feeling at that moment honestly like I felt like it was like just a smooth game for us like I just felt like we were flowing well out there like it just felt like pretty basketball like and sometimes I think as a basketball player like you can just feel it um I thought that's what we had like I said minus the first six minutes I thought we played really well and you know this was a big one for us it almost counts towards two when you're in the playoff race of like a loss and a win so um we knew it was a big one but also like we wanted to win the season series with them um that was kind of a focus point and the last time we were here we were up 15 in the fourth quarter and kind of you know fumbled it away so I thought it was another opportunity for us to come in here and show what we're about and I thought we were really good and um honestly like I just had a lot of fun playing like I thought we played with a lot of joy we played at uptempo we shared the ball well um I thought tamy was really good especially defensively when she came in and um that was fun for me to see kayln you mentioned the playoffs um this moves you guys up to sixth uh how important is that especially knowing the stretch that you have coming up I think you only have three games against teams with winning records yeah I mean I think you can't really look at a team's record at this point in the year I think um you're seeing teams play really well like I think I just heard the wings beat the links the other night Sparks beat the Liberty like it doesn't really matter A team's record at this point everybody's fighting for something and fighting for a playoff birth fighting for seating or positioning so it doesn't really matter you better come into every single game um with the mentality of to win and I think our group has done a really good job of taking it one game at a time and um it's honestly impressive how we started of the season and now sitting at sixth place with eight games remaining nine games remaining whatever it is um but you know you have to continue to execute down the stretch and lucky for us we have quite a few of those at home and we've been playing really well at home so using that to our advantage will be important as well what you guys like you said you started the season did you have faith you would get to this point you know maybe after you guys played together and you had bre yeah I mean I certainly did I think I remember saying early in the season like I know there's going to be a moment where we look back on this in the season later in the season and be like like you know this one and8 start is like going to help us somewhere down the line and I think this is now that moment um did it stink absolutely like it was not fun um you know I was I was frustrated or everybody was frustrated um you know fans were probably frustrated but at the same time like we have a young group we're trying to learn we're trying to figure out and it's a tough transition you know coming from college and then trying to come in here and lead a professional basketball team and be their point guard so um I'm just really thankful for my teammates that like just stuck with me and you know have helped make the transition easy and learning one another and I think once we've really figured it out it's been a lot of fun for everybody on this team um Keli this is the first time you guys have been 500 since you started 2 and two in 2022 just for you what does it mean to kind of be part of this rebuild and kind of see it these past couple years uh kind of give yourself some Grace uh about you know where I started as a as a player and where the feed organization was and where it is now um you go to appreciate you know um the evolution of the game um the players that came in it um people like C Square even like you know this group that draft class that came out you know they taking really good leaps at making teams better and I think C square has done that for us and I think now it's about focused on taking it to the next step and I look forward to that Journey so sorry um to go off that if the message against Connecticut was that you guys weren't going to be bullied pushed around what was the message tonight I mean just to come in here by 20 points the way that you did uh I was obiously keep the main thing the main thing um we knew that uh Chicago had a lot of like up and down as far as you know their roster and who was playing who wasn't I think for us it was about keeping the main thing the main thing and stay focused on that and this game was about rebounding um you know we all kind of like said it and I think we have that Focus uh especially with players like Angel and so U get them off the glass and then run so I think that Focus kind of maintained throughout the course of the 40 minutes today so the fever now seven of their last nine they're back to 500 as they are 6 and 16 remember they started the season 1 and8 first time Indiana's been 500 or better in a season since 2022 snaps a streak of 103 straight games under 500 which is the third longest streak in WNBA history for more let's welcome in Andrea Carter Andrea Indiana's been among the wnba's best team since the break a far cry from the team that we saw start the season what have the fever figured out Stan they' figured out each other Caitlyn Clark talk about it after the game she said we're finally understanding each other the best dynamic duo right now has been Caitlyn Clark and Kelsey Mitchell coming out of this Olympic break watching those two play off of each other they look rested Kelsey Mitchell has been on fire Caitlyn Clark is scoring she's knocking down her threes and she's finding her teammates and the rest of the Indiana Fever go as those two go shout out to Angel Reese for her double double record watching Caitlyn and Angel Break these rookie records has been phenomenal but when it comes to Indiana and Chicago Indiana is the more complete and together basketball team on both sides of the ball which makes them a dangerous team in the playoffs Chicago still fighting to hold on to that playoff spot what about the AES just two and four since the break entering Friday just 9 and seven at home what did this win over a tough Atlanta team do for them this is a must win you know Atlanta's coming in they're going to be Scrappy they're going to play with a ton of energy Alisha gray and Ryan Howard and if you're the aces they were playing without their starter their versatile scorer Jackie young so they're going into the game knowing that they're missing Jackie knowing Atlanta is going to try and come with everything they've got and they get the win Asia Wilson who is the greatest MVP candidate we have seen all season long she had a dominant performance Tiffany Hayes stepped up and put up big time numbers which is going to help the aces moving forward so this was a solid win and one that they needed and they can build off of meanwhile the team at the top of the standings Del Liberty coming off a a heads scratcher lost to the Sparks on Wednesday but they get the win in Seattle what you think of that performance I was really impressed with this performance by the Liberty I want to give a lot of credit to Brianna Stewart and Sabrina yonescu they combined for over 50 points and also were over 50% from the field together New York pulled together they hung tough they with stod a big Seattle run they were able to get a big win on the road Seattle is not an easy place to play so that's a big win for the liberty and now they get a few days off they don't play again until Thursday when they run it back with the storm this time in Brooklyn Andrea thank you for the time and the breakdown victory Of The Year Angel Reese 23rd double double of the season a rookie record 10 points 11 boards but Kelsey Mitchell was spectacular for the fever 23 points Lissa Smith down low also 14- s great defense from Lexi ho of course Chicago without their star guard Kennedy Carter time now to bring in CBS Sports WNBA analyst T Foster brasby to discuss the fever just handling the sky on Friday so Caitlyn as we talked about went off for a career high 31 Angel sets another record uh but the fever win this season series 3 to one what stood out to you the most from this game I really love the way that Indiana has figured out how to pick it up defensively I think one of the biggest criticisms that you could have had about this team when they met in June and all three of those previous matchups were in June is that they really didn't do the best of jobs defensively they were still allowing Angel to get off on the paint um in that third matchup angel had 25 points and 16 boards Kennedy Carter had 23 points she was attacking the basket um it was very difficult for them to get some paint presents from the defensive end tonight they very much have a bank presence on the defensive end um this fever team is really playing a a style of basketball that is dangerous as we look towards going into the postseason they were crashing the boards they were shooting the ball incredibly well they were really making it difficult I know that angel Reese has a double double but it was like last minute that she was able to notch that double double because they were giving her and Camila Koso some some some some some trouble down their inside in the pain so I love what I'm seeing from this Indiana team as it relates to picking it up defensively so they're picking up defensively and that's something that Christy sides has stressed before in the past and right now they're clicking on that end as well as on the offensive end but when it comes to Rookie of the Year I know it's gotten blown out of proportion so many times tarica um but who would you pick right now yeah right now I've got to give the edge to Caitlyn Clark I mean not only is she playing incredibly well but she's one of the catalyst for her team playing incredibly well I look at someone like Kelsey Mitchell who has been phenomenal since this season uh has returned from the Olympic break and one of the reasons that she's able to get open and play so well is because she has a true point guard and Kaitlin Clark who's done a great job of getting her the ball of drawing the of drawing the attention of creating some space allowing Kelsey Mitchell to really do what she does well and they figured out how to play with each other kayln Clark had has honestly shown up and shown out since this Olympic break she has also taken the time to really understand her teammates their mannerisms their characteristics and it has allowed them to play more in Rhythm at this moment I'm I am giving the edge to citn Clark in the Rookie of the Year race and games like tonight help to make that case 100% yeah I'm with you I think Kaylin Clark deserved the Rookie of the Year based on the way she's played especially in the second half of the season but also the tail end of that first half angel special season as well but when it comes to the fever and their postseason Outlook tarica they're right now in sixth place they hold the tiebreaker over the Mercury how far do you think they can go in the postseason of course depending on who they get with that third seat well yeah it definitely does depend on what happens and who ends up where um you know I was on the call for that Indiana Connecticut game earlier in the week and it was a potential playoff preview at the time Connecticut held the the two seed at the time uh Indiana held the seventh seed and so just getting a look at that was very scary um I think that this fever team um is hot at the right time I think they're clicking at the right time I think their chemistry is playing well into their favor and the good thing about it is that they have a couple more matchups that can really test them they've gotten some very convincing wins over some plus 500 teams and that's going to be great for your confidence as you are moving towards the playoff picture as it relates to Chicago however I don't know it's difficult to say whether or not they will remain in the playoff picture but I'm going to say yes and I'm going to say yes Chris only because I strongly believe that they have some matchups coming up here in this last final couple of weeks that can really tell the story one of which is against Atlanta and Atlanta is the team that is currently trying to fight for that number eight spot but I also want to say Washington is not mathematically eliminated and they're a team that you might want to keep your eye out on as we look towards down the stretch of who could be buying for that number eight spot so I'm 5050 on Chicago they're in there now Chris but I don't know for how long if they can't find a way to get some offense on the board well I definitely know this uh they want Kennedy Carter [Music] foree for for fore foree spee spee spee foree fore fore foree spee fore spee [Music] fore fore spee fore foree spee [Music] fore fore spee for speech fore look