Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White discusses her team's defensive struggles during a practice and expresses her desire for improvement in a press conference after a win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Indiana Fever scored 104 points during their first game against the Dallas Wings last weekend.
This would have been the third-most points they scored in a single game one season ago. While the Wings shot the lights out in that game, the Fever gave them too many opportunities and were mediocre with rotations and closeouts.
And while several of the Fever's key defenders were either not active or on minutes restrictions during that Dallas game, this doesn't excuseDallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers shoots the ball while Indiana Fever center-forward Aliyah Boston | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Imagesin addressing this during a practice earlier in the week. And on the surface, it seems that they did so in their 87-78 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on May 13.
After all, Los Angeles shot 49% from the field and 13% from three-point range, which is a stark contrast to the Wings' shooting 59% from the field and 52% from three-point range. However, White still wasn't satisfied with her team's defensive performance, which was conveyed when she spoke to the media after Wednesday's win.
When asked what she liked better against the Sparks when compared to against the Wings, White took a moment and said, "Ehh," per a YouTube video from the Fever. Caitlin Clark then interjected, saying, "We only gave up 78 points! We're gonna win a lot of games if we do that.
" Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White talks with Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images"I want more! Coaches always want more. That's the nature of the beast," said White. She then added, "Again, we gave up 11 fastbreak points.
Transition defense—and it's hard sometimes, turning the ball over or quick shots lead to transition opportunities. But our transition defense has to get better. I think our ball screen defense early wasn't really good. We got better in certain situations.
"And then we became hackers in the second half, evidently. So, I just think that there's a certain mentality that it takes to will yourself to defend every possession. And we are on our growth process to get there. We have the capabilities, there's no doubt about it.
But there are gonna be days where we don't shoot the ball particularly well, there are gonna be days where things don't go great offensively," White added. We've got to be able to rely on our defense. So we were better today than we were in game one. And that's what it's gonna take.
Just getting better every day," she concluded. White is right in saying that a head coach always wants more from their players. She's also right in saying that while the Fever's defense was better, there's still a long way to go until Indiana's defensive prowess matches their offensive firepower. Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations
Indiana Fever Stephanie White Caitlin Clark Dallas Wings Los Angeles Sparks Transition Defense Ball Screen Defense Fastbreak Points
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A review of "For Better and Worse" by Stephanie Coontz.In the book "For Better and Worse," author Stephanie Coontz analyzes the gradual erosion of marriage in the United States.
Read more »
Stephanie Vaquer's Ex-Boyfriend Sentenced After Guilty VerdictThe ex-boyfriend of Stephanie Vaquer could spend the next decade plus behind bars, but his sentence could also end up significantly shorter.
Read more »
Indiana Fever's Injury Roster, but Hopefuls for Significant BoostersA look at the Indiana Fever's injury report, detailing the absences of prominent players, and a glimmer of hope for their future performance with the integration of Monique Billings.
Read more »
Sparks Struggle in Loss to Fever, Fizzle in DefenseThe Los Angeles Sparks' defense struggled in their loss to the Indiana Fever, allowing the Fever to score 24 points off 19 turnovers. The Sparks also struggled with perimeter defense, allowing the Fever to outscore them in the third quarter.
Read more »