"Caitlin Clark has locked down ROTY!" - ESPN reacts to Indiana Fever beating the Chicago Sky 100-81

the fever and the guy and Caitlyn Clark went off with 31 points a career-high also had 12 assists it's now the first time the fever are 500 it's the first game of the season that they scored 100 points or more in the year special night for Caitlyn Clark and the fever as they win 100 to 81 their largest margin of victory Of The Year Angel Reese 23rd double double of the season a rookie Rec record 10 points 11 boards but Kelsey Mitchell was spectacular for the fever 23 points Melissa Smith down low also 14 and 7 a great defense from Lexi h of course Chicago without their star guard Kennedy Carter time now to bring in CBS Sports WNBA analyst tarica Foster brasby to discuss the fever just handling the sky on Friday so Caitlin as we talked about went off for a career high 31 Angel sets another record but the fever win this season series three 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 presence from the defensive end tonight they very much have a paint 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 on 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 Sid has stressed before in the past and right now they are 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 and 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 face allowing Kelsey Mitchell to really do what she does well and they figured out how to play with each other kayln Clark 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 Caitlyn Clark and the Rookie of the Year race and games like tonight help to make that case 100% yeah I'm with you I think kayin Clark deserve 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 seven 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 five 00 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 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 back sooner than later because she provides so much for them when it comes to scoring and spacing tarica Foster brasby always a pleasure talking to you between the astonishing rookies Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese in about 30 minutes these two have captivated fans all season long and here's the thing it's the fourth meeting between Reese's sky and Caitlyn's fever Indiana took the first two of three but in the last matchup Angel ree went off for 25 points in 16 boards and 8887 playoff type win Caitlyn dropped 17 points and 13 assists in that game now Chicago will have a shot to split the series or Indiana wins it 3 to [Music] one and look just the other day Caitlyn set another record most recently she set the WNBA rookie record for most made three-pointers in the season with 88 surpassing Lenard dreams Ryan Howard Mark of 85 with three long balls versus Connecticut and Angel ree she's made some history of her own as well her 22 dou this season tied for the rookie record set by the great Tina Charles in 2010 race already shattered Charles WNBA record of consecutive 10 plus rebound games and Angel Reese leads all players this season with 12.9 rebounds per game that's pacing to be a rookie record Caitlin Clark now owns a single season rookie records for three-pointers and dimes Clark could also chase down Simone augustus's rookie scoring record she would need to average 21 points per game over these last last nine [Music] outings time now to bring in CBS Sports WNBA analyst tarica Foster brby in tarica we know these ladies have been showing out left and right doing things that we didn't expect right out the gate but when you look at their seasons in totality as it stands right now whose season has been more impressive to you Chris is this how we're starting the segment really you know this notest answer but quite honestly I think they both have been equally impressive and here's why you know I think when you think about what they've been tasked to do when you think about the fact that neither one of these women um have really been able to um what's the word I'm looking for um overachieve in the way that so many people expected them to be they said that it was going to be a struggle for these two to to begin their seasons and it was genuinely a struggle for both of them in their own individual ways but now the way that they have both impacted their team each of these young women have now exceeded that expectation each of these young women have broken records and set records both of them have played such a critical part in why their teams are currently sitting in the position that they're in which is quite nearly both in playoff spots I think at this point in the season I'd be safe with saying as it relates to the Rookie of the Year conversation I feel that edge is currently sitting with Caitlyn Clark just given again that she just recently closed on that three-point rookie record she's chasing Alyssa Thomas for that single season assist record something that Alyssa literally just said a year ago and when you look at the overall totality of how this Indiana Fever team is playing right now you know that she's been part of that impact but as it relates to just the rookie campaign between both of these young women I am in a position where I honestly can't say that one is more impressive than the other because they both have really been Dynamic and that has been great for the game G as we've seen everybody wants to see how they're going to do day in and day out now when you look at the fever schedule right they started out 1 and8 which was hard to see them actually jumping into a playoff spot but if they win against Chicago they will jump into six spot over the Mercury because they hold that tiebreaker and they're just so they're playing so confidently tarica since the Olympic break do you believe that they're going to surpass Phoenix when the regular season ends you know I was on the call for Indiana's last matchup against Connecticut on Wednesday night and I kept thinking to myself this is not the team that you want to see in the first round of the playoffs like if you talk to a lot of WNBA players they say to you it really depends on how you play at the right moment peing at the right time getting hot at the right time well this Indiana Fever team is hot at the right time and not just because of Caitlyn Clark Kelsey Mitchell has been outstanding since the Olympic break I mean this play player Kelsey has been leading the league in that time frame and scoring she's averaging 18.2 points per game she's a dangerous shooter in transition I cannot believe how quickly she releases the ball Honestly by the time you've stepped up to defend her the way that she comes off the ball in transition the ball is already halfway down the net so there's just like there's just no stopping that when you combine that with aiyah Boston's ability to be a passing big the way Lexi Hall has come up and stepped up big defending on the perimeter which has been a place where this Indiana Fever team has struggled providing big shots in critical minutes I really feel like they have ample opportunity to surpass Phoenix because my biggest criticism of Phoenix is that they aren't consistent well this Indiana team has been consistent since the Olympic break and they've got all of the momentum at this moment right definitely do and I got to tell you Lexi Hull she should be in that starting lineup going for she has earned it from going from dnps earli in the year now to setting records career highs it's been great to see her really shine now the sky they're desperately holding on to that AC seed after four straight losses I know Kennedy Carter has been out some couple games right due to covid and illnesses but in your eyes what's been going on with Chicago since the Olympic break well it's really offense right offense is the biggest piece that they've been missing and I when you think about it their offensive weapons are just simply not there you've mentioned Kennedy Carter who is out again tonight against the fever she's leading the team and scoring but you know who was the last team leader in scoring Marina Ma you know where she is right now sitting on the Connecticut sideline so with all of that being said you have to think about how incredibly tough it's going to be for this Chicago te for this Chicago team I mean when you think about it overall this team has really overachieved compared to where most people believe that they would be this season you got a new head coach you got a new Young court group but it becomes even more difficult when you factor in losing a player like a marina ma to a trade losing a player like Elizabeth Williams early on in the season and now not having being Kennedy Carter you're putting a lot of pressure on Angel ree to be a score we've already seen a lot of pressure on Michaela onu who has been the not the next carrying the team on her back sort of score in the absence of Kennedy Carter which is something she's able to do let's not forget Michaela is a former rookie of the year so she's a beast like that but again it's just a lot of pressure and a lot of time and their schedule moving forward is not favorable to the way that they've been playing they've got some key matchups specifically against Atlanta who is sitting in that nine spot and looking to take that spot so Chicago's got to figure it out and figure it out offensively pretty quickly yeah their offense has been struggling a little bit and look they have exceeded expectations but right now the rookies Camila Angel and everybody else they want to get into the playoffs now when we look at the other standings um or the top of the standings I should say and the rest of this game uh for today's slate the links going up against not the sky but they're taking on yeah they're not going going up against the sky you got the dream against the aces links are going up against the wings um not the sky now they are riding a seven game winning streak tarica they are unquestionably the best team in the W they lead the WNBA in assist do you believe they are the biggest challenge to the Liberty moving forward I would actually rephrase that question and say are the Liberty ready to challenge the Minnesota links because let's not forget the Minnesota links have has given the Liberty a run for their money not once but twice this season so they are clearly capable of taking some W's and taking some W's in Brooklyn against from this Liberty team you know Minnesota is lit is literally playing the best basketball in the WNBA right now nefisa ker we talk a lot about the MVP conversation and we're getting to that point in the season where people are really asking you to put up or shut up right well she has been doing this all all season long Cheryl Reed really has built a team around her with players like Courtney Williams that have been a true point guard for her players like Kayla McBride who have really come off and shown her shooting prowess offensively this team has really been able to put it together but defense is where they have thrived this entire year it is really difficult to see this team being a team not making it to the final four set of teams the semi-finals now let me think teams get hot at the right time and you never know who you're going to come up against in the playoffs that might just you know catch you on a Bad Day right that happens across the board in all sports but it's very difficult for me not to see this Minnesota links team trying to go all the way this year and being successful in doing it unless they lose their Mojo right and some team just smacks them in the mouth yeah I'm not betting against the Minnesota links this season tqa Foster brasby always a pleasure thanks Chris [Music] for for spee [Music] foreign for for [Music] spe spee speech you your name all speee spe spe spee for spee s foreign speech spee foree what for you spe foree speee