September 19, 2024
Indiana Fever fan appreciation night shows how far team has come
By Tony East
Christie Sides: 'You can't compare it. There's nothing to compare'
INDIANAPOLIS — When the Indiana Fever hosted the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday for Indiana’s home finale, a sellout crowd packed the stands for fan appreciation night.
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A fan appreciation night generally doesn’t make for a story by itself. But what makes this one a tale worth telling for the Fever is what has made their whole season remarkable — everything is different.
There were 17,274 fans in the arena Sunday afternoon. It’s the 16th time the Fever hit that number this season, per Across The Timeline, and their lowest number at home in 2024 was 15,022. Last year, the highest attendance number Indiana hit was less than half that figure, at 7,356.
The change in the game experience for Indiana from one year to the next has been stunning. In 2023, Gainbridge Fieldhouse had a family fun zone that was court level before and during the first half of games. Seats that are now occupied by fans were pushed back off the floor to fit in a bounce house/slide, a bunch of inflatable basketball hoops and other family-friendly activities.
“You can’t compare it. There’s nothing to compare,” head coach Christie Sides said of the year-to-year differences in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, though she noted that she misses the bounce house because she and the team would occasionally go down the slide after shootarounds. “Unbelievable fan support. … It’s just awesome where we are right now.”
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Rookie sensation Caitlin Clark obviously played a huge role in this turnaround. The franchise started to ramp up in popularity last year, but they exploded in admiration after drafting the former Iowa star. Hawkeye fans, who can drive to Indianapolis in a day, fill the city and arena.
As a result, there were a ton of fans to appreciate on Sunday. Two years ago, there were 1,700 observers in Hinkle Fieldhouse — the home of the Butler University Bulldogs — in attendance for the Fever’s home finale. The then 5-30 squad fell by 12 to the Washington Mystics.
On Sunday, Indiana toppled the Dallas Wings for their 20th win of 2024, a number that guard Kelsey Mitchell called a big deal. The team is excited about reaching a .500 record and what it says about the work they’ve put in.
There are many instances of the Fever’s growth as a franchise, and this night can be added to the list. The basketball product from Sunday would also qualify. Indiana improved to 20-19 with the victory and secured the sixth seed for the postseason, a major accomplishment in front of the sold-out crowd.
In year’s past, this time of year for the Indiana Fever was about getting a look at some younger players and securing better lottery odds. Not this time. The 2024 squad is playoff bound and trying to sharpen their level of play as they head into the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Indiana was rolling coming out of the Olympic break and won seven out of eight outings from Aug. 16 to Sept. 4. Since then, they are 2-3, though one of their wins was by one point and the other one came in overtime. They aren’t slumping — the three losses came at the hands of Minnesota and Las Vegas (twice), two excellent opponents. But they aren’t playing their best basketball with the postseason just a few days away.
“I think we need to sharpen our defense,” Lexie Hull said this week of the Fever’s focus. “It’s going to come down to that. … Making sure that we’re locked in and limiting our opponent’s offense.”
The Fever will face the Connecticut Sun or the Las Vegas Aces in the first round of the playoffs. They’ll find out for sure Thursday night. Both of those teams hold a defensive rating below 100, and the Sun have the top defense in the league right now. They will both be challenging for the Fever.
Indiana won’t win a series if they can’t find their groove from late August. In their hottest stretch, they beat the Sun. With their current form, they lost twice to the Aces. Better performances are needed when the playoffs begin, and the team knows it.
“You’ve got to leave your ego at the door,” forward Temi Fagbenle told The Next of what it takes to have playoff success. She was on a Minnesota Lynx team that won a title back in 2017, and she’s trying to stamp some of the qualities from that team onto her current group. “It just takes everyone willing to fight together towards a common goal … it’s about ‘did you do what you could do for us to get the win?’ That’s it.”
The Indiana Fever had time to recalibrate and focus on their defense this week. They had Tuesday off, unlike most teams in the league. They now turn their attention to their season finale. Then, it’s playoff time.
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Written by Tony East
Indiana Fever reporter based in Indianapolis. Enjoy a good statistical-based argument.
