‘We will not be bullied’: Fever show toughness in 84-80 win vs. Sun, 2nd-best team in WNBA

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever proved the best way to stand up to a bully is to stay composed and match the energy of its tormentor.

Against the Connecticut Sun — a team the Fever struggled with so thoroughly during an early June loss that coach Christy Sides benched four of five starters early in the fourth quarter — Indiana took their best blow and held on for an 84-80 win Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Suns tried to set the tone early during a physical game that often drifted toward chippy. Forward Nylssa Smith left the game early in the first quarter after taking a blow to the face. Rookie Caitlin Clark found herself flat on the court after absorbing several hard screens. Nearly every loose ball led to a tussle for possession and a jump ball.

Before the chippiness could boil over, Sides called a timeout to make sure her team kept its cool, but veteran Kelsey Mitchell would not let her teammates back down.

“I told our group early, I don’t care what happens in the game, being bullied will not be the issue — we will not be bullied today,” Mitchell said. “For us it was about making sure we stayed confident. … Don’t let nothing just happen to you. We know how great these teams are, but we’ve got confidence in ourselves too.”

Knocking off the No. 2 team in the W, a team that already clinched a spot in the playoffs, could be a big boost for the surging Fever. At 15-16, currently seventh in the league standings, the Fever aren’t shying away from thoughts of postseason basketball. The Fever have just two players — Damiris Dantas and Temi Fagbenle — with postseason experience, but the atmosphere at Gainbridge and the intensity on the court felt like a playoff game to the home team.

Clark said Wednesday’s game was one of the most physical games she’s ever played in. Sides added that her team’s ability to take the hard hits and continue to fight showed immense growth from the beginning of the season.

“(It showed) maturity and toughness today,” Sides said. “(The Sun are) the best defensive team in the league, and they just are going to make everything really hard and be very physical, and you can’t let that get to you.

“I felt the game got real chippy there for a little while. I called a timeout just to make sure that we just kept our composure. Didn’t need to let that get to us. Just keep doing what we were doing.”

Toughness cannot be quantified on a stat sheet, but Fagbenle’s willingness to do the dirty work was key for the Fever. The veteran did not score a point, but her 18 +/- was the team’s best. Her length affected the Suns drives to the basket, and her willingness to set screens freed up her teammates on the perimeter. She finished with three rebounds and one blocked shot. Lexie Hull led Indiana with eight rebounds. Aliyah Boston and Smith had six rebounds each.

“If you want to ask, what won this game — defensive rebounding. I wouldn’t have been able to say that in the past,” Sides said. “We did a hell of a job. We had five stops to end the game in the last two minutes and 50 seconds. They did not score. That’s incredible.

“That is a great team. Just how they’ve locked in and took pride on that end of the floors is making a difference for us.”