The Fever picked the worst possible moment for their weakest offensive showing of the season. The attack just couldn’t get going against Karl Smesko’s Atlanta, as the game finished 80-68. Fever’s 68-point finish marked its fifth-worst output in a game this season, and its Field Goal percentage of 34.9% was its fourth-lowest this year. Their three-ball was virtually non-existent with Kelsey Mitchell going 1-4 from downtown, along with Lexie Hull’s 1-5. Their cumulative two threes for the entire 40 minutes marked their season low. After the game, Lexie Hull explained the point of difference between the two teams. 

It was always going to be difficult to continue their style of basketball with so much of their original roster on the sidelines. The Fever were without both of their premier long-range shooters, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham. With the Fever so shorthanded, the majority of the scoring fell to Kelsey Mitchell, who scored a playoff career-best 27 points while shooting 50% from the field. Beyond that, no other Fever player made more than 3 field goals, making it concerning for the Fever going into Game 2. However, the Fever know what they need to improve on. 

Lexie Hull told the media after the game, “Yeah, I mean, I think we knew coming in, it’s playoffs, it’s going to be physical, and we’re going to have to learn how to play with that, especially this team is inherently a physical team. So for us knowing that’s the case and being able to respond, I think there’s things that we able to watch in film on how to handle that better, not letting the refs determine, you know, how that physically is impacting us, but just continuing to play through that.”

The referees were once again under the scanner in this game. Lexie Hull herself had a brush with flagrant as she just turned around with Rhyne Howard in her blind spot and rammed into her. It was a clear accidental collision, but Howard went into the locker room with an injury scare. It was not upgraded after a review, but the physical nature showed even when the ball wasn’t in play. 

The Fever were heavily outmatched by the Dream when it came to size. Eight of the Dream’s 12 players are six feet or above. This drastic difference meant the Dream were going to make it about physicality and play ‘bully ball’. That was the term the commentator used when Naz Hillmon scored off Aliyah Boston in the paint by just dominating her with brute strength. Fever beaten to the glass, 36–32, and the Dream cashed in, 18 second-chance points to Indiana’s 10. There seems to be no way out for the Indiana Fever out of their physical mismatch. 

Lexi Hull And Co. Are Simply Outgunned

The Indiana Fever’s Achilles heel has always been the lack of physicality in the squad. Stephanie White knew that the Dream was practically the worst matchup for them. White’s initial comments came on May 22 after two consecutive games against the Dream, which ended with a win and a loss. She said, “I don’t feel like we match up well with [Atlanta]. I mean, they’re tough to handle. Obviously, they’ve got a lot of Olympians, they’re quick and skilled on the perimeter, they’re big and strong and tough on the interior, they’re experienced.”

The Fever coach doubled down further in September after their playoff match-up locked up. “Their size at most all positions has been a challenge for us.” She said. This Fever roster was constructed to play fast-paced basketball to find its way out of such situations. The run-and-gun style of play could trouble the Atlanta Dream, as size is not speed’s best friend. 

With almost half of their initial roster on the sidelines, they can’t completely pursue that style. The only outside shooters remaining are Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell. Both failed to provide a genuine outside threat against the Dream. Even in the scenario where both get their mojo back, that is still not enough variety to go past the second-best defense in the league. Stephanie White tried to change their tactics for the playoffs, but planning and executing are different things. This roster was put together with emergency signings that can’t live up to their initial expectations, while also being unable to adapt to match the Dream. 

Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard are the ones who can go band-for-band with the physicality. Boston was held to just 9 attempts overall while overseeing much of the team’s defensive duties. The Fever needs her to put double shifts on offense and defense, and it’s impossible for the forward to handle both for 40 minutes. Howard was limited to just 5 points and 6 rebounds in Game 1. If the Fever want any chance of turning this scoreline around, these two would have to put in the performances of their life.