The Indiana Fever knew that they were going to have a rough stretch when Caitlin Clark was announced to have a left quad strain following the May 24 loss against the defending WNBA champs, the New York Liberty. They could not have anticipated how rough that stretch would become on Friday.
During the first quarter of Friday’s game between the Fever and the Connecticut Sun, Sydney Colson, who was starting in place of Clark for the second straight game, left the game with a left leg injury. Sun guard Jacy Sheldon appeared to land on Colson’s leg while diving for a loose ball. Colson, who was the only other point guard on the Fever’s roster, would not return. Off-season acquisition, Sophie Cunningham and Kelsey Mitchell (both shooting guards) alternated at the point in Colson’s absence.
With six minutes left in the game, fate struck again for Indiana, as Sophie Cunningham went down with a right ankle injury. It was the same ankle that Cunningham had injured in the final preseason game in Atlanta. Mitchell would do most of the ball-handling the rest of the way.
Despite having a two-point lead with 2:46 left in the game, Indiana ended up taking the loss 85-83. It was the team’s third straight loss, dropping the Fever to 2-4 on the season. With the Fever down by three, Kelsey Mitchell hit a layup with 9.1 seconds to go to bring the team within one. After Sun guard Saniya River hit one of two free throws to put the Sun back up by two points, the Fever called a timeout. Mitchell then fumbled the in-bounds pass from Lexi Hull and recovered just in time to fire up a corner three-point attempt that fell short, giving Connecticut the win.
Aliyah Boston led the Fever attack with 17 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and a steal. Mitchell added 13 points (on 4-of-15 shooting), two rebounds, five assists, and a steal. Lexie Hull (12) and Sophie Cunningham (10) were also in double figures.
The Sun, who collected their first win of the season, were led by Marina Mabrey’s 26 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. Tina Charles added 18 points, and Saniya Rivers had 12 points and six assists.
The Fever’s four losses have come by a combined total of eleven points, so that they can compete without Caitlin Clark. However, without Clark, Colson, and Cunningham, the team may struggle to handle the ball going forward. Mitchell is the only remaining guard with any point experience, having played a combo guard off-and-on during her career. Lexie Hull and DeWanna Bonner are the only other guards listed on the team’s roster. Hull might be able to handle the ball in short spurts, but she is not a playmaker. Bonner is 6’4″ and more of a small forward at this point in her 15-year career.
If Colson and Cunningham are out long-term, Indiana may be able to pick up another guard. Barring that, Kelsey Mitchell will be forced to be the primary ball handler. Mitchell has had two bad shooting games in a row, and she does not need any more on her plate right now. With Clark out, Mitchell was already feeling the pressure to score more. The Fever also have to worry now about teams extending pressure up the court and trapping when the Fever guards bring the ball up the floor. Clark, who is expected to be out for at least two more games, cannot return soon enough.
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