The first time they clashed, Indiana’s “perfect opening day” swiftly became Chicago’s living nightmare from which it couldn’t wake. The Eastern Conference teams’ season debuts further delineated their differing timelines.
What a difference three weeks make in the WNBA.
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The second of five meetings this season between the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky, set to make history on Saturday for its location at Chicago’s United Center and tip-off on CBS in primetime, will look mightily different than the first.
The rivalry rematch that counts in the Commissioner’s Cup standings will be the fourth game missed by Caitlin Clark, the MVP-contending point guard nursing a quad injury that’s thrown the Fever in flux. They lost two of the previous three despite being in a lighter portion of the schedule. And the injury bug dug deeper, decimating their guard depth when Sophie Cunningham (ankle) and Sydney Colson (left leg) exited a loss to the previously winless Sun. Cunningham remains on the availability report.
The Fever have gone 1-2 with Caitlin Clark out of the lineup. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It’s that type of injury unknown that first-year head coach Stephanie White had in mind every time she said this preseason the Fever were title contenders “on paper,” a reminder that it’s about more than acquiring talent. They need a smattering of luck in health, and time to build chemistry with so many new pieces flying around the court expected to stay ready for Clark’s visionary assists takes more than a short preseason.
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With the growing chemistry on pause, Indiana is fighting to find footing it hopes will help in the long run.
“They’ve been really resilient,” Clark told reporters on Thursday. “It’s hard when your point guard goes out that controls a lot of the game. And people have kind of had to step into positions that maybe they haven’t had.”
The championship aspirations feel more fragile now, particularly given the Finals rematch collision course the undefeated Liberty and Lynx seem to be on. Three weeks in, the Fever (3-4) are far from panicked, but also still a long way from approaching perfect.
Facing the Sky (2-4) is an opportunity to stack wins and keep pace with New York in the Cup standings ahead of Clark’s potential return in time for a grueling stretch of the league’s best. Clark told reporters on Thursday she will be reevaluated this weekend and could play on Tuesday in Atlanta, but isn’t going to push it if the training staff doesn’t think she’s ready.
A few hours north in Chicago, there remains a level of dismay that’s only slowly evaporating. The Sky were outscored by 60 points in their first two games, putting a chill on Angel Reese’s preseason claim that the Sky would “shock a lot of people.” That’s the result of facing the Fever and reigning champion Liberty, a tough scheduling break out of the gates. Losing to the Sparks and Mercury by a combined 18 quelled the ugly net rating and showcased a melding roster.
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“There was some jumps and strides that we made positively from those games,” Sky first-time head coach Tyler Marsh said. “And obviously for it to culminate in two wins against Dallas was really great for our locker room and moving forward. But we understand we enjoyed it while we could and now it’s time to move on and focus on Indiana.”
Their back-to-back wins over the Wings following a 0-4 start are stepping stones, lagging far behind the pack. No one should be excitedly writing home about beating 1-7 Dallas right now. And to further concern, center Kamilla Cardoso was restricted in practice on Tuesday while dealing with a “lingering” shoulder injury, Marsh said. He told reporters on Thursday that Cardoso — their most efficient scorer whom he wants to get more involved offensively — is expected to play on Saturday.
The injuries roiling the league as a whole put a slight damper on the significance of Saturday’s matchup. The game will be the first WNBA contest on broadcast TV in primetime when it airs on CBS at 8 p.m. ET. It’s no surprise Fever-Sky took that window as the most-watched regular season series of the 2024 season.
And it is the first WNBA game to be played at United Center, home of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, and could break attendance records. The Sky record is 16,444 and the WNBA record is 20,711, set by the Fever vs. Mystics last year at Capital One Arena. The United Center, also home to the July 27 matchup, holds 20,923 for basketball.
The schedule makers spaced out the must-watch rivalry matchups, placing one each month of the season (and all on weekends), a welcome change from the three-in-three-weeks overload of a year ago. It not only gives the rivalry room to breathe — and given fan fervor, it desperately needs it — but provides a benchmark on the path to the playoffs.
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The Fever, a realistic Finals contender dead set on a championship, have yet to reach the pace and offensive flow of their season opener, nor come close to the 64.4 defensive rating. In four of the six games since, it’s ballooned to triple digits. They can reset the defensive intensity with the Sky, a matchup in which they notched 13 steals and 10 blocks last outing.
Aari McDonald, the Fever’s emergency hardship signing for falling below 10 game-eligible players, will be a key cog off the bench. She set the tone defensively upon entry in the win over the Mystics, plus added five assists and zero turnovers after one practice and one shootaround with the team.
“I could tell before her first practice she definitely watched some film,” Clark, who knows McDonald’s defensive mindset well, said. “She knew what we were doing on offense, she knew defense, but also that just speaks to her time in the league and understanding how you play in this league. She’s competitive, she’s aggressive, she’s physical.”
And then there’s the obvious.
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“They’re still extremely formidable,” Marsh told reporters on Thursday. “Aliyah Boston is still a load inside and Kelsey Mitchell is still being Kelsey Mitchell. So we have our work cut out for us.”
The Sky are in a rebuild, despite their addition of veteran talents in the free agent pool, and are hopeful contenders for a playoff berth. Chicago ranks last in turnover percentage (allowing opponents an average of 18.2 points per game), and struggles to connect a cohesive offensive game. Though they rebound the ball well and average 15.6 second-chance points per game, they aren’t doing enough to stop opponents from scoring 11.3 of their own (11th). The roster is still struggling to hit outside shots (30.6% from 3-point range), and Reese, working on expanding her range, is less efficient from the restricted area (31.1%).
Like White, Marsh has preached time and patience in developing chemistry and cohesion.
“I think we’ve seen glimpses throughout the year so far, but I think the last two games we’ve really seen an improvement on what it can look like,” he said.
How much of a difference can three weeks make? We’re about to find out.
