The Fever were most definitely ecstatic following their win over the Sun the other day. It didn’t matter that they were heavily favored to prevail heading into their match against the WNBA cellar dwellers. As far as they were concerned, the victory served as validation of their place among the league’s established elite. And who could disabuse them of the notion? After all, their second straight triumph and fourth of five outings in the Commissioner’s Cup secured for them a spot in the Final early next month.
For a while there, the Fever looked to have their hands full against the Sun. They were locked in battle for the better part of the first half, with their first double-digit lead coming only near the break. Once they got their bearings, however, the superiority of their roster became evident — so much so that the fourth quarter became academic. And, needless to say, highly heralded sophomore Caitlin Clark led the charge; when the battlesmoke cleared, she wound up with a game-high 20 markers on 50% shooting from the field (67% from beyond the arc) along with six dimes and two swipes in 29 minutes of action.
Considering Clark’s importance to the cause, it’s no wonder that the Fever floundered in her absence. She was out for 19 days due to a left quadriceps strain, during which time they went a middling 2-3. When she returned over the weekend, however, she hit the ground running to put up 32, eight, and nine in helping upend the league-leading Liberty. The Sun were next, and they managed to take care of business with relative ease the other day — to the delight of the 16,284 fans at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Interestingly, Clark was nothing if not diplomatic in her post-mortem. Even as she was involved in an altercation with the Sun’s Jacy Sheldon that netted her a technical foul late in the third quarter, she saw fit to remind all and sundry that basketball needed to be foremost in everyone’s minds. That said, Fever head coach Stephanie White was right to note the increasingly physical nature of competition, and the ensuing need for referees to keep tight rein over contests. In any case, the red, blue, and gold march on.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
