The Indiana Fever survived in Game 2 and extended their WNBA playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces. Caitlin Clark led the way for Indiana on Tuesday, recording 27 points, seven rebounds and 15 assists.
Kelsey Mitchell added 26 points in the Fever’s 99-89 victory, while Aliyah Boston finished with 22 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block.
While there’s no denying that the Fever’s Big 3 was the biggest factor in the victory, there was another player who played a crucial role for Indiana.
In her postgame press conference, Clark discussed how the Fever’s increased physicality helped them take down the Aces. And according to her, it was thanks to WNBA veteran Myisha Hines-Allen that they were able to step up in that area.
Hines-Allen, who recorded two points, five rebounds and one steal in Game 2, was the one who rallied the Fever following their Game 1 loss and reminded them of what they needed to do.
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“I think that’s where we really lacked in the first game, and that’s what we talked about as a team. It’s like, ‘Don’t be soft,'” Clark said of the Fever’s physicality in Game 2. “You know, we kind of beat ourselves in that way, and like, obviously Vegas played tremendous in Game 1, but we didn’t match their physicality. We didn’t have the mentality of coming in and kind of puffing our chest a little bit. And I think tonight, we really had that.”
She added, “I think Myisha was really the leader of that. Like, she kind of gathered the group yesterday and was like, ‘You have to have a different mentality about yourself.’ Obviously, she’s won championships before, and I think everybody really bought into that. I’m just really proud of us, and we’re going to need that in Game 3 as well.”
Hines-Allen won the WNBA championship with the Washington Mystics in 2019. She certainly understands what it takes to win at the highest level, and as Clark stated, it helped them bounce back when their backs were against the wall.
The Fever will definitely need the same level of physicality in Game 3 if they want to secure a spot in the semifinals. Fortunately for the team, they have a veteran in Hines-Allen who keeps them together and leads them.
