Indiana
How Fever overcame 5 season-ending injuries to make playoffs: ‘We all we got, we all we need’
Fever coach Stephanie White explains decision to shut Caitlin Clark down for season
Fever coach Stephanie White on how they came to the conclusion to shut Caitlin Clark down for the season and the emotions Clark felt on that decision.
BALTIMORE — When Caitlin Clark got injured, it changed the scope of this Indiana Fever team.
Clark, the 2024 Rookie of the Year and first-team All-WNBA selection, has been the engine that drives the Fever. She smashed multiple league-wide records in her first season, including the WNBA assist record, on the way to leading the Fever to their first postseason appearance in seven years.
She is the Fever’s star, on the court and off. She wills her team to wins and brings in fans from across the world. But she was limited to 13 games this year because of various injuries, including four separate muscle injuries and a bone bruise in her left ankle.
At first, it changed what people thought of the Fever: could they be successful without Clark? Is the season a wash without her?
With or without Clark on the court, the Fever were determined to have a successful season. So, Kelsey Mitchell borrowed a mantra to bring to her team: “We all we got, we all we need.”
“When CC got hurt, I felt like it was deflating,” Mitchell said on Friday night. “It was hard for people to kind of see us and see our energy for what we brought to the table as a team. Hats off to CC for being a great teammate and having to go through so much with injury, but the ‘all we got, all we need’ is a staple to who we trying to be as a team and who we want our culture to be.”
And that mantra only became more relevant as the season went on.
Clark had multiple injuries throughout the season that limited her availability, but the right groin injury that ultimately ended her season came on July 15. A few weeks later, Clark suffered a bone bruise in her left ankle while doing an individual workout on Aug. 7.
That same night, Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson — Indiana’s two backup point guards — suffered season-ending injuries against Phoenix. Ten days after that, Sophie Cunningham tore her MCL and was ruled out for the season. On Aug. 22, Chloe Bibby hurt her knee during pregame warmups and was eventually ruled out for the season too.
It was an unprecedented amount of adversity, having five season-ending injuries over the course of five weeks. But Indiana knew its season wasn’t over. It had to press on.
“I think just being in this locker room, we never doubt ourselves on what we’re capable of, no matter what happens,” Aliyah Boston said Sunday. “I think the entire staff, from the head down, just made great decisions when people went down on who to bring in, the type of people to bring in, and we never doubted ourselves. We never doubted that we could be in the playoffs.”
The Fever had to bring on multiple players on one or two days’ notice. Odyssey Sims joined the Fever on Aug. 10, getting one practice before playing in a game for the first time. Shey Peddy, who joined the team on Aug. 20, had two practices before playing her first game. Aerial Powers signed with the team on Aug. 23, getting just a morning shootaround before checking in for the first time.
All three of those players have become key rotational players for the Fever, and Sims is Indiana’s starting point guard. And that “We all we got, we all we need” mantra became an energizer for the Fever, especially for the players who joined midseason.
“Coming in, the first thing that really made me like, woah, was Kelsey goes during guard shootaround, ‘We all we got, we all we need,’” Powers said. “And right then and there I was like, ‘Yep, I felt it already.’ Coming in and feeling the grit, the grind that the team has, top to bottom, and being able to insert myself, it’s been amazing.”
It showed them, at the base level, how Indiana was never going to give up even in a time of unprecedented hardship. The Fever built their culture to fight, no matter who is or isn’t on the court.
“We can’t help the ones that aren’t here, which is unfortunate, but we can help the ones who are, and be present about that and not disrespect the game,” Mitchell said. “I would like to think that CC, Aari, Syd would want to play and be in our shoes. So I think the ‘We all we got, we all we need’ is a respect thing, but to put it in the air that we all we got and we all we need, because that’s how it is, and that’s how it’s always been.”
That culture, that mantra culminated in a playoff berth for Indiana. The Fever will be no lower than the No. 7 seed in the playoffs, and could move up to six if they beat the Lynx on Tuesday and Golden State loses each of its final two games.
Indiana’s season hasn’t been what anyone expected, from the coaching staff, to the players, to the fans. But it still shows an upward trajectory for the Fever, who have now made the playoffs for two straight seasons after missing it for seven straight from 2017-23.
It’s a change in culture for Indiana, a will to fight even when it seems like all hope is lost. The Fever will bring four players on hardship waivers into the playoffs, but they’re not counting themselves out of anything.
“When you can go through and grow through these types of experiences, it lays a foundation for championship culture and championship mindset,” Fever coach Steph White said. “That’s our ultimate goal, to be able to take it one day at a time, to be able to put ourselves in a position to be in the playoffs, and now a mindset of finishing the regular season and then make a noise in the playoffs.”
Indiana’s playoff opponent hasn’t yet been determined. The Fever have one more regular season game against the Lynx on Tuesday, then will tip off the playoffs on the road on Sept. 14.
Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter.
Indiana looks to continue its hot start to the Darian DeVries era on Sunday as Incarnate Word comes to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
The Hoosiers have cruised to three victories to begin the season, scoring at least 98 points in each game. The play of transfers Lamar Wilkerson and Tucker DeVries has been especially intriguing, with the two combining to average 41 points on 44.7% 3-point shooting.
Sunday’s matchup is one of four more home games for the Hoosiers before they begin Big Ten play on Dec. 3 at Minnesota. Incarnate Word comes to Bloomington with a 2-1 record in coach Shane Heirman’s third season.
Here’s more information on the game.
Incarnate Word is off to a 2-1 start, beginning with a 98-64 loss at Colorado State, followed by a 104-60 home win over Jarvis Christian and a 109-70 home win over Southwest Christian. The Cardinals rank No. 213 overall by KenPom, with the No. 166 offensive efficiency, No. 287 defensive efficiency and 270th in adjusted tempo.
Four players are averaging double-digit points, including senior guards Davion Bailey (19 ppg) and Tahj Staveskie (18.7 ppg), sophomore guard Harrison Reede (17 ppg) and junior guard Jordan Pyke (12.3 ppg). Reede has been the team’s most effective 3-point shooter, going 17-for-30.
As a team, Incarnate Word shoots 49.3% from the field, 39.8% from 3-point range and 65.4% from the free throw line. They’ve outrebounded opponents by an average of 10 rebounds per game and have a 49-to-28 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Incarnate Word was picked to finish seventh in the preseason Southland Conference poll. The Cardinals were ranked No. 221 out of 365 teams and No. 5 in the Southland Conference going into the season by Sports Illustrated’s Kevin Sweeney.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has experienced nothing but success in his one season at No. 2 Indiana. Receiver Omar Cooper Jr. has been through just about everything in his four years with the Hoosiers.
Now the tandem that created one of college football’s biggest plays this season hopes to deliver another memorable moment in what could be their final home game together Saturday against struggling Wisconsin.
This will not be just another senior day at Indiana (10-0, 7-0). For the second straight year, the Hoosiers enter their final two home games with a perfect record, on the cusp of clinching a playoff spot and the possibility of reaching their first Big Ten title game.
But second-year coach Curt Cignetti doesn’t believe the narrative will become a distraction from how the Hoosiers have reached this point.
“I doubt any of them are thinking about the end right now because everybody understands sort of where we’re at and what’s possible,” Cignetti said this week. “I think we’re on a little bit of a mission here, and that’s really been the focus. I think that’s how the kids are thinking, too.”
Mendoza emerged as one of the top players in the transfer portal last year and wound up choosing the Hoosiers in part to reunite with his younger brother, Alberto. The older brother has been even better than advertised by leading the league with 31 total TDs while emerging as a Heisman Trophy favorite and possibly the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
Cooper, meanwhile, endured 4-8 and 3-9 seasons and won only three Big Ten games in his first two years at Indiana but has since become a key figure in a remarkable two-year turnaround.
The Hoosiers are trying to extend their school record 14-game winning streak at home and protect the program’s highest ranking against the Badgers (3-6, 1-5). And Cooper’s incredible go-ahead TD catch in the final minute not only gave Indiana its first win at Penn State, it helped them — finally — shed the label of America’s losingest football program. Northwestern now has 716 losses all-time, one more than the Hoosiers.
Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell knows what his team is up against after snapping an 11-game losing streak against Power Four opponents last week.
“I don’t even know if you asked a coach from within (the program) like if they could pinpoint exactly what it is,” Fickell said when asked about the Hoosiers turnaround. “There’s a lot of things that have gone into it. Great coaching is one of them, great quarterback is another. But whatever they’ve done a really, really good job of in the last few years.”
Quarterback questions
The biggest question for Wisconsin is who will play quarterback Saturday.
Billy Edwards Jr. was the opening-day starter but sprained his knee in that first game and has only played, briefly, in one game since. Danny O’Neil and Hunter Simmons started a combined total of seven games, but when O’Neil was carted off the field with a leg injury last week, Fickell went with first-year quarterback Carter Smith who went 3 of 12 with 8 yards and scored on a 2-yard run in a 13-10 win over then No. 23 Washington.
Who will start Saturday?
“You always have a plan,” he said when asked what he’d do if the Badgers lose any more quarterbacks to injuries. “We’ve still got to figure out who’s one and two before we start to think about who’s the fourth going into a game like this.”
CFP talk
Given the schedule, the CFP selection might want to consult with the Badgers before making its final pairings.
Saturday’s game will be Wisconsin’s sixth this season against a team ranked in the CFP’s Top 25. The Badgers already have faced No. 1 Ohio State, No. 4 Alabama, No. 8 Oregon, No. 18 Michigan and No. 21 Iowa.
But Fickell’s players aren’t blaming the brutal schedule for their losses.
“I love every bit of it,” outside linebacker Mason Reiger said. “I’d rather play the best five teams in the country than play none of them. It’s a challenge, sure. It’s not easy to play these good teams, but at some point in college football you want to play the best teams because to be the best, you’ve got to go against the best.”
___
AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee also contributed to this report.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Indiana
Purdue basketball stats, box score today vs. Evansville: How did Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer play?
Purdue basketball started the 2025-26 season with an 82-51 win over Evansville. Fletcher Loyer led the charge with 5 first-half 3-pointers before finishing with a career-high 30 points. Trey Kaufman-Renn (hip) didn’t play.
Braden Smith stats for Purdue basketball vs. Evansville. How many assists did Braden Smith have?
Braden Smith had 6 points, 11 assists, 2 steals and 2 rebounds on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
He entered the game with 1,375 career points, 758 assists, 183 steals and 535 rebounds. He was a first-team All-American in 2024-25 and has a chance to set the Division I career assists record.
Purdue basketball stats vs. Evansville today
| Player | Pts | Reb | Ast | FG | 3FG | FT | PF |
| Joshua Hughes | 15 | 11 | 1 | 6-12 | 3-7 | 0-0 | 3 |
| A.J. Casey | 14 | 9 | 2 | 6-13 | 0-3 | 2-2 | 1 |
| Leif Moeller | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0-9 | 0-5 | 2-2 | 1 |
| Keishon Porter | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1-11 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 3 |
| Alex Hemenway | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1-6 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 0 |
| J. Dyson-Merwe | 4 | 7 | 2 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 3 |
| Trent Hundley | 9 | 1 | 1 | 3-8 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 2 |
| Bryce Quinet | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2-9 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 1 |
| Kaia Berridge | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 |
| — | 51 | 40 | 13 | 21-70 (30%) | 7-34 (20.6%) | 2-4 (50%) | 15 |
Evansville basketball stats vs. Purdue today
Who are Purdue’s best players? Purdue basketball roster
- 0, C.J. Cox
- 1, Antione West Jr.
- 2, Fletcher Loyer
- 3, Braden Smith
- 4, Trey Kaufman-Renn
- 5, Liam Murphy
- 12, Daniel Jacobsen
- 14, Jack Benter
- 17, Omer Mayer
- 24, Gicarri Harris
- 34, Raleigh Burgess (redshirt)
- 45, Oscar Cluff
Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar’s Boilermakers newsletter.
Chimpanzee escapes exhibit at Indianapolis zoo, prompting temporary lockdown
Family of woman shot to death in front of her Crafton Heights business call for justice, “I can’t get my wife justice.”
FOUND: 73-year-old woman with dementia in Augusta
What’s happening this weekend in DC, Virginia, Maryland: Nov. 14-16
Best Seafood in Northeast Ohio: Your cleveland.com reader poll winners
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
DNC staffers ruthlessly mocked for fuming over remote work reversal: ‘Get yourselves together’
Italy redefines sexual violence law to include explicit consent
Peace through strength? America first? Is there a Trump doctrine? : Sources & Methods
Rev. Jesse Jackson hospitalized amid health battle with neurodegenerative disease
Pakistan says Islamabad, South Waziristan bombers were Afghan nationals
-
Nebraska6 days agoWhere to watch Nebraska vs UCLA today: Time, TV channel for Week 11 game
-
Austin, TX1 week agoHalf-naked woman was allegedly tortured and chained in Texas backyard for months by five ‘friends’ who didn’t ‘like her anymore’
-
Hawaii5 days agoMissing Kapolei man found in Waipio, attorney says
-
Vermont3 days agoNorthern Lights to dazzle skies across these US states tonight – from Washington to Vermont to Maine | Today News
-
Southwest7 days agoTexas launches effort to install TPUSA in every high school and college
-
New Jersey5 days agoPolice investigate car collision, shooting in Orange, New Jersey
-
World1 week agoIsrael’s focus on political drama rather than Palestinian rape victim
-
West Virginia3 days ago
Search for coal miner trapped in flooded West Virginia mine continues for third day
