Hurtful Start Dooms Fever in Loss To Chicago

INDIANAPOLIS – Missed shots and missed opportunities engulfed the Indiana Fever in the first half. By the time they recovered, it was too late.

The Fever found themselves trying to climb from a 41-point hole Sunday. The Chicago Sky went on to capture a 98-72 victory at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Fever departed The Fieldhouse knowing things must improve.

PHOTO GALLERY: Fever 72, Sky 98

Stephanie White, the Fever’s first-year coach, left no doubt about it.

“Obviously, very disappointed in how we started the game, really embarrassed at how we started the game,” White said. “We had no pride, didn’t compete, didn’t have any energy. And we let Chicago run over us.

“We have to learn from the way we started this ball game,” White added. “There is absolutely no excuse for that. … There will not be days where we don’t compete. We didn’t compete.”

Indiana fell behind by 20 points halfway through the second quarter. Fell behind by 30 with 1:50 left in the second quarter. Fell behind by 40 after Chicago opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run.

The Fever righted the ship thereafter and outscored Chicago, 51-37, the rest of the way. But the damage was done.

The Fever played the game without three of its inside players. Tamika Catchings sat out because of a one-game league suspension for making contact with a game official in a Friday game. Catchings’ backup, Natasha Howard, was out with an injured hand and will likely miss a week. Erlana Larkins has played only sparingly this season with an injured knee.

With Indiana using a small lineup, Chicago scored 46 points in the paint.

“That’s part of it,” White said about Indiana’s lack of size resulting in Chicago’s inside dominance. “But I think the other part is our positioning, our attention to detail, our coverages. Our one-on-one contain defense was not good.”

Also injured for Indiana was Shavonte Zellous, who sat out the second half with a lower-back problem. The Fever had only eight players available after halftime.

But White made it clear she didn’t want her team sulking about injuries or any other difficulties.

“You don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself,” she said. “You have to fight for your job every single day.”

The Sky shot 56.7 percent from the field and outrebounded the Fever, 46-27. Six Sky players scored in double digits, led by Elena Delle Donne with 24. Chicago’s starting backcourt of Cappie Pondexter and Courtney Vandersloot combined for 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting.

Marissa Coleman led Indiana with 16 points and added six rebounds. She earned praise from White for her effort.

“The way she played was outstanding,” the coach said. “She laid it all out there. She just played her heart out.”

Indiana’s loss Sunday came in the first of four games in seven days. The Fever, who fell to 1-4, have challenges ahead.

“Nobody was satisfied with how that first half played out,” Coleman said about Sunday’s loss. “We have to find a way to play with the energy and intensity that we did (in the second half).”