Fever's resiliency without Clark rewarded with playoff berth

Nothing went according to plan for the Indiana Fever this season.

They began the year with legitimate title aspirations following Caitlin Clark's historic rookie campaign. Then they dropped four of their first six games.

Clark initially went on the shelf with a quad strain after four appearances. DeWanna Bonner - Indiana's marquee free-agent signing - received her unconditional release a month into the season because she felt the fit "did not work out."

When Clark returned to the lineup, she wasn't the same player. The second-year floor general was eventually shut down with three regular-season games remaining after suffering a bone bruise on her left ankle as she rehabbed from a groin injury.

Numerous players stepped up during the All-Star's absence, including veteran Sophie Cunningham and hardship signing Aari McDonald. But they both sustained season-ending injuries in a 10-day span in August, forcing the Fever to scavenge the free-agent market once again.

The Fever lost five players for the campaign due to injury, yet they continued to rally around one another. They won a franchise-record 24 games and finished above .500 for the first time since 2015 despite their revolving-door roster. Their resiliency was rewarded with a second straight playoff berth.

"I think anybody that's a competitor, you love it. You've got an itch for it. You want to do it right. ... I think our group wants to do that," Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell told theScore.

"I think we're more willing. I think tough experiences make you tougher."

Head coach Stephanie White reworked her offense around Mitchell and Aliyah Boston with Clark sidelined. Given more responsibilities, both players answered the call.

Mitchell finished third in the WNBA scoring race, averaging a career-high 20.2 points on 45.6% shooting. She led all players with 111 triples to go along with the third-most fast-break points (129) and points off turnovers (175).

Boston also set a new personal best with 15 points per game. The former No. 1 overall pick was dominant down low, converting the fourth-highest number of field goals (158) within the restricted area. She also placed third in points in the paint (468) and fifth in second-chance points (122).

Mitchell and Boston's uptick in scoring is partially due to their roles as the team's primary initiators.

Mitchell hadn't played point guard since her days at Ohio State, but Indiana needed her to play out of position once the team lost McDonald and Sydney Colson for the year.

Mitchell averaged 4.4 dimes over her last 16 appearances and was the first guard in league history to have at least 850 points and 150 assists in one season. The three-time All-Star developed great chemistry with Boston and Natasha Howard in the pick-and-roll. Her ability to create in those situations gave her opportunities to pull up off a screen or attack downhill.

Boston's passing was equally beneficial for Mitchell, as the South Carolina standout set up her teammate 60 times. Boston was particularly effective at distributing the ball from the perimeter, often finding Mitchell and Lexie Hull on backdoor cuts or dribble-handoffs.

If opposing teams overplayed the handoff, Boston would fake the exchange and drive to the rim instead.

White envisioned using Boston as a playmaking hub, similar to the way the coach deployed Alyssa Thomas with the Connecticut Sun.

The Fever remained an elite offensive unit in Clark's absence, posting two more points per 100 possessions than a year ago. Meanwhile, Boston registered 163 assists to finish just three shy of Candace Parker's single-season record by a center.

"(Boston) just makes really good decisions," White told theScore. "She doesn't usually get rushed. She typically doesn't take chances. She makes the right play and the right read. I trust her in those situations where she's facilitating and where she's got the ball in her hands."

White added, "I know she's a different kind of player, but I told her before the season started, 'We want to use you kind of like (Nikola) Jokic. To play through you and for you to be able to score and facilitate from multiple places on the floor.'"

Indiana's coaching staff has emphasized the importance of sharing the rock. It hasn't always translated, with the offense sometimes stagnating for long stretches. While the Fever finished in the middle of pack with 20.6 assists per contest, they showed how lethal they can be when they do move the ball: They were 7-1 when they tallied 25 assists or more, averaging 92.3 points and nearly 10 threes in those games.

Cunningham understands that spreading the ball around takes pressure off Mitchell and Boston. She believes those high-assist games are a byproduct of the team's play on the opposite end of the floor, as they also averaged 8.8 steals per contest.

"It opens up everything when you can get everyone involved," Cunningham told reporters after the Fever dropped 27 dimes on 35 field goals in a victory over the Atlanta Dream just before the All-Star break.

"But I'm not kidding, I think that really does stem from our defense. When we are aggressive defensively from the jump, it just sets our mind offensively. And so as a team, we really do have to get consistent in that."

Mitchell agreed that the Fever's defense enhances the pass-happy offense they aspire to play. Indiana was third in points off turnovers (16.9), with Mitchell being the primary beneficiary.

"When the ball pings ... you get to see more of who we are," Mitchell said. "I think that's tied with how effective our defense can be. When you guys see us get to make plays in transition, that comes from defense. I think it's an idea that we need to continuously hammer home.

"It's big for me and (Boston), but as well as our group. When you see the ball go back and forth, it's because we're all sticking together. That's what we want to hang our hat on."

The Fever enter their first-round series Sunday against the Atlanta Dream as underdogs, but they've been defying the odds all season. Their determination is a testament to both the new and established faces in the locker room.

Veteran guard Odyssey Sims was waived by the Los Angeles Sparks before the midway mark of the season. The 2019 All-Star joined the Fever in August when injuries struck their backcourt, and her steady play at the point earned her a deal for the rest of the campaign.

Hull collided with Gabby Williams during a matchup against the Seattle Storm two weeks ago, suffering a sizable welt on her forehead that later turned into bruising underneath both of her eyes. Indiana's starting wing managed to push through the game, playing with the intensity that's defined her career.

The Fever built a tough-minded roster from top to bottom, and they've grown closer with each curveball thrown their way.

"We've been able to navigate a lot of disruption, a lot of adversity because they are such a tight-knit group," White said. "They like each other. They're for each other. They get along well. But that stuff off the floor doesn't matter if you can't put it together on the floor.

"I think they've done a really good job of giving one another grace in tough situations, pulling one another along, and lifting one another up. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about."