The Indiana Fever experienced a different level of hang time Wednesday afternoon.
For the second straight week, head coach Stephanie White set up a non-basketball-related activity to keep it fresh during the Olympic break.
The team did a bootcamp workout at former Fever player Tully Bevilaqua’s Gym41 last week. This time, the team headed to Eagle Creek Park to navigate the Go Ape zip line course.
“I think we need a change of scenery,” White said after riding the second of the course’s five zip lines. “We have five weeks of Olympic break… And I think it’s a good time for us to really come together as a unit. [We’re] cheering one another on, overcoming a lot of fears, and being there for one another, and having each other’s back.”
Just like the workout last week, the activity was kept a secret from the players until the last possible moment.
“We didn’t know it was zip lining,” center Erlana Larkins said. “We just were given an address and told what to bring. We were kind of nervous, actually.”
All 10 remaining players and every coach took part, some needing more encouragement than others.
“There’s about three or four of us that’s going last because we’re afraid,” guard Shenise Johnson said before beginning the first stage. “I think if we overcome our fears and just go for it, everybody’s encouraging us and I think we’ll be fine.”
The zip lines weren’t the only challenge of the day. The course had several obstacles suspended high above the ground that players needed to navigate to get to the next line. These included a “Tarzan” jump, where riders jumped off a platform and swung through the air into a giant net, which they then had to climb up to get to the next platform.
“It’s just been awesome,” guard Briann January said. “It’s been challenging, you have to activate your core, you have to work on your balance and everything, and everybody’s been doing great.”
“I was just focused the entire time, not to fall or make a misstep,” guard/forward Marissa Coleman said. “I was scared the whole time, but I’m glad I did it.”