POST-GAME INTERVIEW: CAITLIN CLARK, KELSEY, CHRISTIE SIDES AFTER FEVER'S BLOWOUT WIN OVER SKY

going into the second quarter and 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 21 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 Frank 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 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 own enough to on and off 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's 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 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 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 know 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 Kaylin 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 you only have three games against teams with playing 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 the 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 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 so using that to our advantage will be important as well kit way 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 play together and you had the break 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 you know this one in8 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 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 Kelsey this is the first time you guys have been 500 since start two and 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 fever 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 squ even like you know this group that draft class that came out you know theyve 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 yeah sorry um to go off that if the message against Connecticut was that you guys weren't going to be bullied weren't going to be pushed around then what was the message tonight I mean just to come in here when by 20 points the way you did uh obviously keep the main thing the main thing uh 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 and I think for us was about keeping the main thing the main thing and stay focused on that and this game was about down um you know we all kind of like said it and I think we had that Focus especially with players like Angel and so U get them off the glass and then run and so I think that Focus kind of maintained throughout the course of the 40 minutes today Kaitlyn it seems in this stretch any combination of five you all have out there you got five scores what's the just the confidence you have in everybody right now put them in the hands and the points are going to be there yeah I think it we're just tough to guard especially like you know especially when we just playing transition like we're just playing pretty basketball playing fluid basketball we're playing off one another we're just reading each other and that's not something other team can like Scout for like you don't know what we're going to do we don't know what we're going to do it just happens it's just basketball like that's the best way to play basketball like be a basketball player make reads play off your teammates set them up for Success um and I think we do a really good job of finding each other in positions where we know they can be successful um I'm pretty sure we had a high assist number on High made field goals tonight and I think that just shows you know we're making the next pass to get our teammates a good shot and taking the right shots K the other night you were talking about how much Kia has help you just sort of you know has a veteran presence but specifically on the court how do you think she's helped you the most on the floor off the floor on the floor on the floor um I mean I think it's pretty similar on and off the floor like she's just been a voice that's been there she's been through this league for what seven years now like she knows what to expect she knows how things are going to go um and I think more than anything like we are just starting to understand each other much better like we could just make eye contact and she knows to go back doors she knows to come to get the ball like that just comes with playing with one another so um it's been a lot of fun for me I mean she's she's playing so well right now just as good as anybody in this in this league so I feel very lucky and fortunate to to have her by my side how confident is this team right now coming in hot wow opening the door I mean I feel like we're confident but that's like that's any team in this league when you're able to stack some wins like that's everything right and I think coming out of the break we start with two big wins at home versus Phoenix and and uh Seattle and then we go on the road and we drop one but then we knew Atlanta was a huge game for us and I thought we played really well there so um I'm just proud of our group I think we're really just approaching it day by day even though like you know these games are so important we're not we're not really looking that far down the stretch of what's at the end of September what's in the middle of September it's what's in front of us today and just approaching it like that and um that's how you build your confidence is just one day at a time but I think our confidence is you know at an all-time high where it's been this all season going back to to the offense you guys have had the best offensive RA in the league since mid June is that something that you guys envisioned like was possible or I mean I'm during that losing stre at the beginning season maybe not but I mean just like to reach that height to be able to say you know you guys are the hottest offense right now like yeah for sure I think that I think that I think that people fa to real that basketball is something that takes time you don't just come in and you get it right after the back I don't know what people expect I'm not going to hop in their brain and figure out what they expect but this stuff takes time and I think that to see good basketball and see a manifest into what you see now it took time you know you got to give yourself some Grace that's why I always tell our team like give yourself some fls right now cuz we could have been a lot worse and to see where we are now I think the sky's theem is for us and I think our offense and what you see and our Fierce competitiveness it's just kind of in our DNA and we want it to kind of like stay like that you know we want to do the right thing the right time all all the time not just sometimes but going to do it right all the time and that's what you're seeing last one man yeah Caitlin um toward the end of the fourth you had a rare a three-point Miss uh it seemed like Camila turn had said something to you was that you pointing up to the scoreboard I think it was a fan I was just having fun with the fan nothing to do with Cam I love camil camil's awesome um but yeah I mean I just launched one for fun it was kind of a bomb it was a good airball had to get a good airball in there you guys pray for me pray for me I mean she did an excellent job taking care of the ball she did an excellent job late in the game when if we didn't have the advantage in transition she was pulling the ball out um that's just that's just just the growth of that's things we weren't doing earlier and now she's recognizing those things um she's making some some play calls you know we we try to get her to you know understand like what our advantages will be with certain play calls for certain teams and and so she made some of those calls during the game and were just great great calls ended up with buckets a lot of times um you know our team ended up with only 11 turnovers tonight and that is huge for us but it was only for five points off those turnovers um so a huge stab for us Christy what's got this team just loose they just there is there is we talked about Joy Wednesday night after that win we see it in pregame we're just seeing it here in the postgame it just seems to be all throughout this group right now yeah I you know that was kind of my pregame speech you got this young team and they are just I mean they like to have a good time and there's a fine line and there's a balance and I just wasn't sure if their head was ready tonight so we had a good talk right before the game um you know they're so talented and I think the more we just keep it as light as possible but focused on what we have to do each night to get uh to be successful as long as they stay light and they keep buying into what we're doing you know it just it's just made for a fun environment um the joy is out there in the game it's after the game it's on the bench I don't know if you guys see our bench it's incredible it's incredible that's what shoot around is like um you know but winning winning makes everything really really really fun how pleased are you with this team's ability to you know not let up and you guys built that big lead and were're able to kind of keep the sky at Bay and how is that a sign of a mature te maybe too well before that we we got down 13 so down 13 and then to come back and go up 27 for us you know and then we if we could just correct a few things like Chicago started out hot they hit three threes um got out and transitioned on us uh and then we adjusted we changed some schemes up a little bit made it harder for them to get those shots and then we we just kind of settled in and locked in and then our transition just really got us schore this's third quarter stretch after AB gotten F will mean to you guys and stabilizing in that moment yeah I you know I just went right right after the game she was solid I mean she battled Angel she battled she had some great baskets she had some great defensive um possessions far as got some huge rebounds um she's just a solid player I mean once we kind of got ahead I was thought you know let's you know make sure that we have her legs for Dallas same with Kelsey now that the record even was there ever a part of you when you were you know one 18 28 that was like just get to 500 and what does it feel like now to be there man I I back in 1 and8 I don't even know what I was thinking uh but I had I had faith in these guys um the you know the the talent is there the character of these people um it's there they never gave in they kept fighting they kept getting better um and I just keep telling them their hard work is paying off like you know know you fall to the level of your preparation and your work and they just keep doing that every night how did this group get so comfortable offensively at running at such a frantic Pace what looks frantic from a casual observation you know we just have taught from the beginning like if we get out and run the wings wide right and you bring the you get to the corners sometimes people want to stop on the wings but when you get to the corners you bring the whole defense down to that level so it just opens up your floor so that's you know one thing that we weren't doing early we're doing that now um and with that when Kaitlin's getting drags in the middle of the floor with that kind of spacing with Kelsey on one side Lexi and how she's shooting the basketball in the other you know DD's been able to stretch it far us we just got options and it's just you have to figure out how you want to guard us but see how do you keep this going obviously it's it's going great for you guys right now but T Dallas just beat Minnesota yeah um how do you how what do you do as a coach to keep this we just keep talking about the next one what is the next one the next one is Dallas at Dallas and they got us right before the break in a game that we should have won so we just keep you know we'll go back and we'll show them clips of that we're just keeping it that I mean we're you know it feels good to be sitting at 500 right now it's been a really long time since the fever's sat at 500 so just really proud of that and where we are from where we started but I never had any doubts that this is where we could be um you've talked a lot you talked a lot at the beginning of the Season about telling them to you know keep showing up how much of this is just a culmination of having that mindset having like POS postivity even when you were struggling after to begin yeah I think it's everything I mean it could have gone sideways real quick at 1 and8 real quick and I keep saying it over and over the the character of people that we have in that locker room they just weren't they weren't going to let that happen and they just you know frustrated yes you know needed some confidence yes and we just kept working on that and building on that and you know and that's kind of why I think we are where we are today just kept showing up kept getting better kept showing them where they were getting better the winds weren't in the column early but then we were getting wins on the court and off the court as well you were down by uh 13 points 5 minutes into this game and then you eventually win by 20 what did you see from your players um you know whether it was talking amongst themselves in the huddles all the reviews that maybe gave you that you know certain confidence that they were going to get this yeah I think in moments like this before we would panic and we just would kind of lose our composure and Our poise and um it would kind of snowball on us and then we would finally get it figured out but by that time it was you know too late I think we're doing a much better job of getting it figured out early we we always talk about stopping the bleed you got to find a way to stop the bleed and I think we're doing that and just so many people are stepping up you know Timmy and Dantes are really really huge for us Lexie as well Erica wheeler comes in and lets Caitlyn get off the ball a little bit she can give Kelsey a below um just some good minutes for these bench players Caitlyn's hyping up the crowd and poting it doing all that does that give you energy as a coach at all what does that do for the team which is doing that even on the road yeah I mean Kaylin Clark just gives you energy right just who she is regardless I mean she's just she keeps it light but she knows when to turn it on you know she's a competitor just a fierce competitor it's it's like just trickling off to our other players but yeah you're talking about talk like they're just doing a lot more talking than we were earlier like that communication piece is huge you know they if you're not talking you're not playing defense I think that's improved our defense and also just them giving confidence in each other other when they're talking on the bench and on the floor you see it more it's just a just a great sight to see that and to hear them you hear them now rookies dominate 2024 WNBA merchandise sales a new era Begins the WNBA has seen a surge in popularity this year and it's the rookies who are leading the charge not just on the court but in merchandise sales as well according to recent data shared by boardroom three of the top five players in merchandise sales through July 2024 are rookies a remarkable achievement that highlights the League's growing appeal leading the pack is Indiana Fever star guard Caitlyn Clark as the number one pick in the 2024 WNBA draft Clark has quickly become a fan favorite and her jersey sales reflect that she tops the list showcasing her immense popularity just months into her professional career close behind Clark is another Rook cie sensation Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky known for her dominance at LSU and her high-profile brand deals Reese has transitioned seamlessly into the WNBA capturing the hearts of fans and securing the number two spot in merchandise sales perhaps the most surprising name in the top five is Kate Martin of the Las Vegas Aces drafted in the second round out of Iowa Martin wasn't expected to make waves but her impressive play and growing fan base have propelled her to number four in sales just ahead of her veteran teammate AA Wilson who sits at number five Sabrina yonescu the dynamic Guard from the New York Liberty rounds out the top five at number three ionu has been having a stellar season leading the Liberty to the top of the standings and her merchandise sales reflect her status as one of the League's brightest stars this surge in merchandise sales isn't just about individual play ERS it's a reflection of the wnba's increasing popularity as a whole according to boardroom sales of WNBA merchandise have skyrocketed by over 500% compared to the same period last year player specific merchandise including jerseys and t-shirts has seen a staggering 1,000% increase marking the highest sales numbers in league history as the regular season enters its final month it will be fascinating to see if these rookies continue to dominate merchandise sales with the playoffs on the horizon the spotlight on these young stars is only set to grow brighter the 2024 season has already been one for the history books and it's clear that this new generation of talent is driving the WNBA to new heights