The Indiana Fever have a turnover problem.
It plagued them in consecutive losses to the Atlanta Dream, but in reality, it has been an issue all season.
The Fever (9-7) hope to take better care of the basketball when they meet the Phoenix Mercury on Monday night in Indianapolis.
Indiana had won four consecutive games before getting swept in a two-game set against the Dream last week.
The Fever turned the ball over 18 times (leading to 22 Dream points) in a 108-101 loss Thursday in Indianapolis. Two days later, they turned the ball over 19 times (leading to 18 Atlanta points) in a 113-96 loss at the Dream.
Indiana led by as many as 11 points in the first half Saturday before trailing by as many as 22 in the second. The Dream turned a three-point halftime deficit into a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter after outscoring the Fever 28-15 in the third.
“I think it started with the turnovers,” Indiana head coach Stephanie White said of the third-quarter turnaround. “We had (10) turnovers. They had (nine) points off those turnovers. … That gave them a little momentum and it gave them a boost. We’ve got to find ways to regroup.”
Caitlin Clark committed five of the third-quarter turnovers and finished with seven in the second game after turning it over five times on Thursday.
“We have to take care of the basketball and that starts with me,” Clark said.
The Fever are averaging 15.5 turnovers per game, second-worst in the WNBA. Their average of 2.7 more turnovers committed than forced is also second-worst.
The Mercury (5-12) ended a four-game losing streak by defeating the visiting Seattle Storm 93-73 on Saturday. Phoenix took control with a 14-0 run to start the third quarter.
“It’s been a tough start, and we haven’t had this kind of feeling in a while,” Mercury head coach Nate Tibbetts said of his team’s first victory in two weeks. “… It’s tough, when you’re losing, to sell hope.
“Part of it is being willing to stay with it as a group, but that’s a tough sell when you take some (losses) when you’re used to winning. You need these days. These are days that give you hope.”
–Field Level Media
