So, today, lads, is the first game from the Indiana Fever versus the Dallas Wings. I will say this, this is one of these things where I feel like this game will mean more to fans than it will to one of these two teams. And this game will mean a lot more to Dallas Wings than the Indiana Fever. If we remember last year, wow, August the 12th was the Wings’ second last win of the season.
This game right here, the last time these two teams played was one of the weirdest games. So, for the Wings, Paige was horrific. She was absolutely shockingly bad. And if you’re looking at it, the play-by-play, the Dallas Wings were so far ahead. So, if you look at the fourth quarter, to start the fourth quarter, the Dallas Wings went up 14 points.
I said they went up 17 points with 6 minutes to go after Hines-Allen hitting a three. And after that, it was just the Dallas Wings stinking it up, and the Indiana Fever pulling it back to a one-point game, and Kelsey Mitchell missed the game winner. It is one of the craziest things ever.
And not only that, I do remember when Paige missed the shot, Fever taking a timeout when they really should have just ran in an open layup. I do remember that one. They really should have just ran in an open layup to win the game. But, at the same time, it doesn’t really matter, because that was when we were like, oh, are the Fever at this stage, because the Fever were getting close to .500.
It was like, oh, are the Fever trying to tank their way out of the playoffs? Clearly, they weren’t. But, it was such a bad decision that that’s what ended up happening. But, there has been only one game where Caitlin Clark has played Paige Bueckers, and it was this game right here, the 13th of July one. Where the Indiana Fever were up 30 going into the fourth, and garbage time Bueckers cooked them.
The Indiana Fever were up near 30. Well, they got it back to 20. But, it was a near 30-point game at one stage, and then Paige absolutely just cooking in the fourth quarter. Paige giving them the business to get to her 20 points. But, yeah, this is a funny one.
I remember at the end of this game where everyone was like, oh, look at the stats, Paige Bueckers shot 60% from the field. She had 21 points versus Caitlin Clark only having 14 points. It’s like, dude, we all watched the game. Caitlin Clark stole the ball for five steals. Got five steals, 13 assists, and then basically got pulled.
It’s like, she played 24 minutes. They pulled her. They won the game by so much they played Dantas 16 minutes. But, I will say, from this game right here, the one time they played against each other, this was a Caitlin Clark masterclass. Absolute masterclass. Kelsey Mitchell running the floor, and Natasha Howard 18 points on open layups.
It was a demolition. And as a whole for the game, I don’t think we’re going to see that type of intensity, especially from the Indiana Fever. I do feel like the Dallas Wings are going to come in and try to win this game. I personally do believe that. I think the Dallas Wings are going to try to win this game, whereas I don’t necessarily think the Indiana Fever are.
The Fever missing Aliyah Boston. By the looks of things, I think the Dallas Wings are missing Awuak, if I’m not mistaken. I think they’re missing Awuak. They’re missing Jess Shepard, maybe? Yeah, Jess Shepard still hasn’t come back. They’re missing Arike, and they’re missing Awuak.
So, they are missing three of their kind of rotation. So, my expectation is that they’re probably going to start Paige, AZ, and Siegrist. Paige, AZ, Siegrist, Alanna Smith, and they might start Grace Berger. That’s what they might say. Did they start Grace Berger when they beat the Fever? They did, in fact, start Grace Berger, who was nearly a team low minus two, which makes more sense.
She had a solid two of everything. But, yeah, it is going to be an interesting one to see what way the Dallas Wings show out.
Like, how many minutes Paige plays, because I don’t think the Indiana Fever are going to play Caitlin that many minutes. The Fever are missing Aliyah, they’re missing Lexie, they’re missing Ty Harris, and Pasaat wasn’t at practice, so she might have been doing an exam.
She might be finishing up her degree in this game. And look, it could be one of those things where if you are the Indiana Fever, you’re like, we actually couldn’t care less. Do I expect the Indiana Fever to run a single play? No. I do not expect the Indiana Fever to run a single set play. I do not expect the Indiana Fever to run any sort of proper defense.
I do not really expect the Indiana Fever to be playing any players major minutes today. But for the Dallas Wings, it’s the first time they’re being seen. I just need to check how many preseason games the Wings have.
They play the Aces in one of their preseason games. And I think they take this game more seriously than the Aces game. I think they have to come out in the first half and actually look like a WNBA team.
Even the Dream yesterday really took that first quarter seriously, whereas the Indiana Fever, I didn’t think they took the first quarter seriously against the Dream. And I think we’ll see something similar from the Fever today, where they maybe take the first quarter seriously, maybe take the first 8 minutes seriously.
But, I don’t foresee them going and trying to play this game out like it’s game four of the finals at any stage, whether it be minute one or the end of the game. I just don’t see it being that seriously taken a game from the Indiana Fever.
But, look, at the end of the day, we’ve got a situation where it’s a fun preseason game. We get to see Caitlin against Paige, and it could be kind of cool. I am really, really hoping that we get to see the likes of Raven Johnson.
I would love to have seen minutes out of Pasaat, but she’s not playing. There are a lot of players where I’m like, look, I kind of want to see these players.
So, yeah. See you guys.
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