The nemesis strikes again for the Indiana Fever. The franchise struggled to record a win over the expansion team throughout the season and had its second-lowest score (61) against them. On August 31, in the must-win game, the side needed to put an end to its losing streak, but instead fell well short of the opposition total. HC Stephanie White highlighted the shot clock during the game.
The Indiana Fever relied heavily on the hardship contract players for most of the season. But even they couldn’t deliver at the Chase Centre, putting them at the eighth spot after the loss.
Stephanie White Slams Shot Clock Delay During Valkyries Vs Fever Game
The former champions entered the game high on confidence following back-to-back wins over their closest rivals in the league. A win over the Valkyries would have put them in control of the playoff qualification race. But they had an unexpected start to the game, and sadly, it was not play-related but a technical issue impacting their preparation.
The game had multiple delays due to a shot clock issue. The first incident took place just two minutes into the game, while the arena staff resolved the issue, but the solution delayed the game by 30 minutes. Talking about the same, the 48-year-old coach mentioned that it affected their rhythm in the game.
“It affected the rhythm of the game. Don’t know if it affected the readiness. We came out and weren’t ready those first five to six minutes of the quarter,” White told reporters in the post-game interview.
The visitors fell behind by 11 points in the first quarter and never led the game after that. Former Valkyries guard and the Fever’s mid-season acquisition Aerial Powers scored a team high 17 points in the game. Star of the recent win, Odyssey Sims, who signed a permanent contract with the Fever, could score only five points. Natasha Howard and Kelsey Mitchell were the only other two Fever players in the double-digit scoring.
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“It affected the rhythm of the game. I don’t know if it affected the readiness,” Stephanie White says. “We came out and weren’t ready those first 5-6 minutes of the quarter.” https://t.co/UHecmrkv4Y
— Tony East (@TonyREast) September 1, 2025
Aliyah Boston, who registered a franchise record in the game against the Seattle Storm, had an uncharacteristically disappointing game and scored just four points against the Valkyries.
Stephanie White Speaks On The Indiana Fever’s Weakness
Talking about the team’s poor performance, the former layer highlighted some of her team’s weaknesses that cost them the game. As per White, the team lacked aggression and pace in the game, which the opposition took advantage of.
“I just felt like we weren’t aggressive. We were very tentative offensively. Didn’t play with any kind of pace… We allowed them to set their defense, and they’re one of the best defensive teams in the league, and you can’t allow them to do that… We just had some mental breakdowns that killed us and allowed them to go on runs,” White said in the press conference.
The loss against the Valkyries put pressure on the Fever. They are now eighth in the league standings and have only a two-game cushion over the ninth seed, the Los Angeles Sparks. Ironically, the Sparks have six games left in the regular season, while the Indiana side has four games in hand. To turn the situation in their favor.