in the second quarter and extended the finish. They went on a 23-13 run. 25-13 run and Beckers has picked up the pace offensively. Terrific pass by Melissa Williams, too. Exactly what you talked about in the first half though, Nancy.
They were overplaying. Went back door. Easy bucket. Here’s Mitchell. Charles stayed right with her.
Howard working on Melissa Smith uses the right hand. No. Whistling a foul. Melissa cannot believe it. Lexi Hope, they bring her double stuff Oreo cookies and I forgot to bring them tonight, but she forgave me for that.
You know, she’s having a career year. Folks wondered what her role would be once Caitlyn came on the scene and she actually just elevated so became. Yeah. On the last 13 Wings points have been scored by either Paige Beckers or Ari. [Music] More movement this half as it was the end of the second.
Leuru recognized. Beckers trying to make some room on McDonald. Beckers draws the contact and the foul. McD number six in the league in assists per game and steals per game.
Had a great 12 yard set her in the first 12.
And that was Skyler Diggins and Candace Parker. Here is McDonald. A great curl she does inside. What a pass. Yeah, Alia Boston is unbelievable.
You know, first she’s twotime defensive player of the year when she was at USC at South Carolina with Don Staley, the great Don Staley. She’s a rebounding machine, but the same offensively. Arique a little strong on the three. Charles tracks down the loose ball. Debeckers pay up.
Tough 15 footer. Got the bounce. She hesitated to shoot that shot. Shoot that shot. It’s yours.
You’re When the pressure is on them, they’re just cutting back door for open shots. And that is exactly what was out in the scout for Kelsey Mitchell. She’ll start in the right corner. She wants to go to her.
She can she can create her own shot.
Paige Beckers the last nine Dallas points. Beckers tries to go back door. Lexi Hall kept an eye on her. Charles inside off ballot contact and the foul. Let’s check in with Tiffany Bayas Batman.
Wow, look at the puck. The scorers know how to score. They know where their spots are on the floor and how to get to them. Paige is that she doesn’t press to score. She knows how to score.
She knows she’s going to get hers. She’s not hunting. You’re right.
She just has a calm about her in how she plays. You can’t speed her up.
Here’s Mitchell. Charles gets a big pick from Boston. Opens up a shot. Orique pulls it away. He’s got Charles on the left.
Becker’s on the right. Count it. [Applause] Teach the lesson. Okay. You finish at the rim and now you make the fever pay defensively.
One thing Orique wasn’t doing in the beginning of the year was getting to the free throw line. The last five or six games she’s been able to do that. WNBA and NBA champ and WNBA champion, NCAA champion Brad Nuland. The lead is eight inside 10 for the first time since 243 into the game. It has been Indiana from the get-go.
Becker, look at Lee Yu run the court. Smith inside. No. And the Wings will have it with a fresh 14 on the shot clock.
And believe that her halftime shot coming off the run that they had in the second quarter led them off the jump from that from coming out of the locker room and started to dominate.
Kelsey Mitchell almost put her finger on that beautiful play inside to Nelissa Smith. We’ve seen that a number of times at Baylor. and Alysa Smith the ability to elevate over the defense to knock down some tough shots. Tiffany, you were in the Dallas huddle during the timeout. Give us an update.
The coach is talking about no more cheap fouls. They know Ari and Hull, and Lexi Hull are in foul trouble and they’re foul prone. They said, “Keep going at them and keep attacking. Do not let up.” McDonald and Hall both with three personal fouls.
Charles comes up with a loose ball.
She has been hustle, hustle, and hustle. They had to release her, but when she doesn’t back down anybody. Hall inside. Nice move off the glass.
Can’t get it. Rebound Alyssa Smith. Her fifth board so far tonight. Boy, friend, hasn’t the defense just tightened up? They’re going over screens hard.
They’re staying connected and they rebounding so much better. They’re communicating better. You know, defense is starts with and Depay. Enrique being hounded by McDonald. Great defense.
Charles inside. Smith out the basket. Nelissa Smith will go to the line. This is the Nelissa Smith that I saw in training camp. Yeah, clearly the best player in 23-point lead down to four.
Delissa Smith had a huge battle in that Atlanta game. She was very physical, impressed the coaches the minute she gave. Smith, seven points, five boards, the loosest since the opening minutes of this game. You know, when you win a couple games like they have, you know, the overtime loss, they could have won that in Washington. They had a lead on the aces.
They should have won that game. And now that is a big three. You got to get out on Cunningham. 71% of her shots are She does. Yeah.
Becker 15-footer in and out. Cunningham had it, lost it. Becker’s with 18. Five 20point games this season. Four of the last five.
Boston way up front. They wanted to get her touches early tonight. McDonald puts up a hand. No. Rebound.
Quick outlet to Charles. Becker sprinting down the left side. Charles off the glass. No, really didn’t have any numbers and that’s it was a oneon three.
That’s a pull out right there and run an offensive play.
Well, that’s one of the things that Chris Colanis has talked about. Shot selection. He said you got to sometimes give up a good shot adjustments defensively, pushing up on the screen, not being too much in a drop and really helping the ball. Oh, what a boom. Making the basket by Pickers.
He got money. That’s a playground move right there. Get bucket. I guess I could say that was a back door dash. Oh my goodness.
Inside the basket by Mitchell. Got 23. She continues. You hit a a big shot and she comes back. Overall pick back in 2018 by Indiana.
had the opportunity to go somewhere else last season and opted to stay with the fever.
Felt like it had been good fandom and has uh it’s working out. Great player in the red. I just remember how hard she worked out prior to the 2020 season. And Ari in double figures with 11.
I like it. I love the separation power push to create space. Enrique started 0 for three. She’s four of her last five. Boston though, right down the left side.
Clinic, that’s a post player. Clinic facing up. Yeah, but you know, it was Kelsey Mish who set set that up, you know, with the drive and the push. Yes. Deputy White telling her truth to hurry up.
Smith lost it. Almost picked it or almost picked it back up or might I should say. See, I like this play right here. Starts in a horn set. They both go away.
One goes through, one goes to pin down, and then Mitchell can’t get it.
Boston offensive rebound and put back. She’s got 19. Yeah, breaks your heart, Jay. But unbelievable touch and efficiency for Aaliyah Boston.
Good hustle. Indiana number one in the league in second chance points. Boston number one in field goal percentage and Orique. He’s got 13 and a delay of games going to be called against Dallas. Nice back door cut.
What a pass. We talked in the first and second quarter about Boston’s passing ability. You know, one of the things about throwing a backdoor pass is if you’re the ball handler, you have to go at the defender, not at the ball handler to make them make a re. And now a word from State Farm. Seven to seven.
[Music] Dallas’s last 12 made field goals. Five tied by Ari and Paige. Two by Smith. Outside rebound Zaza James. Important 130 for Dallas.
Got to cut this lead even more. Nice job Mitchell defensively. Well, the defense is doing a good job because at one point and that is so with 70 seconds left in the third, the Wings leaded by seven.
Mitchell now being guarded by Quinterly. Big 12 defensive player of the year a couple of times.
Five on the shot clock. That’s going to be an offensive foul on Sophie Cunningham. Let’s get back. Paige Becker’s Enrique Okabali had only seven of Dallas first 32 points, but they’ve had 28 of the last 35 and that’s 14 each in that span. Nine on the shot clock for the rookie Quinterly out of West Virginia.
That’s going to be Glisten Smith who’s getting into it with the other rookie. Yeah, but I I think that’s a great play in the basketball. Well, she’s kind of an undersized foul league. Last five games, all that extra shooting has paid off. Shooting 48%, but she doesn’t get the free throws.
Lee stays at seven. It was 23 for Indiana. Coulson five to shoot. Smith being physical the pull up. No rebounder taken away by Smith.
Condition. [Applause] Final eight seconds. They’ve got to organize. Quitterly with four. The opening.
Charles James. The little left-handed one-hander. Nice execution. So the Wings end the first half with a page Becker’s three. They end the second or third quarter.
with Isaiah James two-pointer and we got a game the final 10 minutes along with Fran Harris Nancy Liverman Jiffy Bay Patman I’m Ron Pula good to have you with us in front of 20,000 fans largest crowd for women’s basketball in the state of Texas and the rejection how about Beckers and it’s going to be a shot clock violation she’s just Jly in there running the show she is showing improvement. They want their point guards to organize a little more. Smith, tough shot. No rebound pulled. [Music] Nice job, Quitterly.
She’s like that little nap at a party. And Natasha Howard, she’s got the double double tonight. She’s so crafty. She’s got can score with either hand. Winnerly off balance.
And again, that comes down to shot selection. The rookie went in against three Fever players. Pimpkins inside, tries to reverse it. Whistle and a foul is going to be called. NBA has done a fantastic job there.
All the talent in the W right now is incredible. Even watch keepers in this league that people need to wake up on. Well, I mean, really all the this these these last two rookie classes have been amazing. I mean, they really brought they bridged the gap between college fans and WNBA fans, and I just love all of the energy that has been generated with these last two rookie classes. Exactly.
Talk about Paige and Caitlyn, what they bring to the W. What have you seen? Oh, we had Zaza James with a big three and the McDonald’s. She commits her fourth personal foul, but the question we have is where is and the ball’s rejected. Smith came up with it.
Zaza again, this time can’t get it. McDonald takes away the loose ball.
Okay. You know, just the positivity of somebody who’s been so great in our league and Cynthia Cooper and all she cares about is the success of all these young players. A that is a nice move by Boston working on Leuru with her cuz she hit a couple gamewinning shots when I was coaching in the Becker pull up.
She rolls it around. She’s got 22. Ron, you got to stop telling people what to do. Okay. Is in the first half for me from my eyes is the Fever had 10 fast break points and they only have two since the first half.
So, coach changed everything coming out of the locker room for the Wings. And again, Becker’s got a piece of it. Wings with a chance to cut it even closer. Indiana right now. the little things, the deflections that are creating opportunities offensively for her team.
Indiana’s lost double digit second half lead, three in the last. Come on. Outage. Becker buries the three. Bang.
Bang. Paige LA. He stopped in Dallas to see her play. And that’s what these young One of six since then. She’s eight of 11.
Lexi Hall, good shot. Can’t get it. Boston uses that arm to keep Leu Ru away. No. Dallas with a chance to tie or take their first lead of the ball game.
They have never led. [Applause] And again, where is on the bench with a warm-up jacket on? JJ tough pull up has the basket came in an instant. Howard back to Mitchell. Wide open three.
Count it. Oh, that was flush. She dare her or you hit a shot. She is the one hitting the shot to stop a run with the wings.
29 for Mitchell Lee.
Oh, stupid score. That’s a heck of a move. Okie do. And the foul since the first quarter, they have not played as hard defensively. Agree.
Agree. Agree. Hurricane has checked into the ball game and a whistle. Could it be called? [Music] Mitchell gets away from everybody.
No. Tipped around. Boston. No. So, not doing crazy things, getting out of position, not helping.
Got to make sure you stick to those. McDonald with a [Applause] she gets the best of our McDonald now with 11 points in the ball game. does resigning her. Yeah, there you go. It’s It’s a shame that she missed that pass.
Two people went Yes. Right. Remember, she was a member of the all rookie team in 2020. What? Out the basket again.
Kelsey Mitchell. Kelsey Mitchell. Don’t feel him like that. But she’s got moves. She’s got counter pulling for you.
You know, even if she’s not playing, she’s effective. 720point game for Mitchell. Then the Wings turn it over. They’ve been pretty good protecting the ball tonight.
That’s only their eighth turnover.
Closing it on up. Mitchell gives it up. Natasha Howard beautiful shot. Howard with a double double of 12 and 11 bench. What did you hear?
Yeah, coach Stephanie White, she was talking about, hey, wall up, no easy pass, and then get downhill. Don’t be afraid to continue to attack the rim. Kelsey Mitchell has done everything possible here in the fourth quarter. McDonald rifles it. [Applause] Howard count the basket and she is fouled.
What a play by Flash playing in Dallas and she brings playoff experience.
53 playoff game for Howard and since it was tied at 82, it’s a Indiana’s defense, their health defense so good. I mean, and the principal there, shout out to Candace Parker for a tremendous tremendous career and did first year MVP, rookie of the year, rookie of the year, right? Yeah. Shout out.
But the cool thing about her is that she won championship to the aces. [Applause] Here is McDonald. Time running out to the wings. Now down by seven. Oh, that could have been a carry.
Mitchell with two. Mitchell with one. Doesn’t get it. Howard fights for it should JJ and she is.
I mean, you can’t.
She’s waiting for the screen and the screen is a little late for her. Y [Applause] has not scored in the fourth quarter for Dallas. Got to have a quick hitter and this is not qualifying as a quick hitter at all. Orique has to launch up the shot. The rainbow.
No. Leuru battles. Cutting him. You know, I would say those screens, but they they have not done that. Oh my.
What a play by Ary McDonald. Outstanding night tonight. 11 points, six assists for McDonald. And a foul is going to be called on the other end. Two at Arizona.
That’s one of the reasons they started her tonight.
They said they wanted her in because she can. Chris Klan has talked about his guards, too. Yeah. battle testing and and also they didn’t want to take Kelsey Mitchell and make her the point guard because that takes away what she does and she’s had a big night with 31 tonight obviously.
Yeah, if you have a point guard that understands time, do not let her touch the ball. Run off all screens. So before Caitlyn, there was Kelsey Mitchell. So I remember guarding her and the how hard of an assignment that was. McDonald to the hold.
No. Leuru with 35 seconds. Got to hurry.
Boy, look at the job McDonald’s doing on Paige Becker. And now you’re seeing that physicality again that they had the fever in the first quarter and Enrique is going to have you’re going to say the Wings lost.
The Wings played really hard. They are a team that are decimated right now with injury. Dane Carrington is on the bench. You learn from these moments. Yep.
in the NBA 20 40 minutes. Beckers and Enrique combined only seven points in the fourth quarter after 15 and 17 in the second and third. And that’s going to do it. Indiana played a perfect first 10 minutes. Opened up a 23-point lead.
Dallas was able to tie it up at 82. But Indiana clutch basket by Kelsey Mitchell, Arie McDonald. In front of 20,000 fans here at American Airlines, Indiana beats.
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