INDIANAPOLIS – “I was a freshman, I think.”
“Yeah, I was in eighth grade.”
That’s what Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, respectively, said softly to each other on opposite ends of the Indiana Fever’s postgame podium while Kelsey Mitchell answered a question about the team’s first four-game home winning streak since 2015.
But with an 88-81 defeat of the Washington Mystics, the Fever got their fourth straight win in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which this team hadn’t done in nine years. Mitchell — who sat sandwiched between the franchise’s 2022 and 2023 first-overall picks — is the longest-tenured Fever player, and even she was still playing and attending Ohio State the last time the Fever did this.
‘We just keep improving.’After brutal start, Fever now back in playoff race
Wednesday marked another sellout crowd of 17,274 to watch the Fever roll. It was the Fever’s third straight win overall, all coming at home over the past week. The Fever never trailed Wednesday, and they tied their third-highest point total of the year. After a 1-8 start, Indiana has won five of its past seven games.
“These were important games, and I’m proud of us,” Clark said. “I felt like we took it one game at a time, we never looked too far ahead.”
The Fever are now 4-4 at home after losing their first four games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season. The young squad has learned to lean on the large crowds for boosts, especially in tight games.
“We feel the energy,” Boston said. “We use that to our advantage. They’re cheering super loud, so we’re just thankful that they continue to show up and that they’re super loud because we’re playing hard for them too.”
At least 15,000 fans have come out to watch the Fever in all eight of their home games this year. While those spectators produced groans and quiet moments to begin the year, they’ve cheered endlessly for the home team as of late.
“We take pride in our city and the people that represent us,” Mitchell said. “So I think it fuels us. It kind of gives us a pick me up or whatever we need as a group.”
The trio of Mitchell, Boston and Clark combined for 62 of Indiana’s 88 points in the win. They — along with NaLyssa Smith (11 points) — have gained comfort alongside each other, and the win column is beginning to reflect that.
Now, the Fever have five straight road games upcoming. When they head to Atlanta to face the Dream on Friday, they’ll have a chance for their first four-game winning streak since 2015. The mission now is to travel with this momentum and cohesion.
“You just got to go one game at a time,” Clark said of the key to stacking wins. “And the next two are versus teams that we played in the last week, so they’re certainly going to want some revenge. But also, I feel like the confidence that we’ve been able to build from the last three games is (to) continue to take a step forward and learn each game. And if we do happen to lose one, how are we going to respond? I think that’s been a big thing for us too.”
The Fever responded to a demoralizing loss at Connecticut on June 10 with three much-needed victories in front of their home fans. If they can stay afloat during their upcoming road trip, this team will have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
