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'That Hurt Us': Indiana Fever's Biggest Flaw Continues To Be a Problem as WNBA Playoffs Approach

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 8:12 AM ET

The Indiana Fever lost for the second straight game, dropping to 21-20 on the season and into the eighth seed in the WNBA standings. A poor second quarter saw Stephanie White's squad trail by 15 points against the Phoenix Mercury at halftime, and the team simply wasn't able to climb out of the hole they dug despite a strong second half.

Kelsey Mitchell had a big game for Indiana with 29 points, including 15 in the first quarter alone. She shot 11-of-20 from the field and recorded four rebounds, four assists and three steals in a losing effort.

Phoenix, for its part, saw five players score in double figures. Alyssa Thomas tallied a near triple-double of 23 points, nine rebounds and nine dimes, while DeWanna Bonner added 19 points.

Once again, the biggest issue for the Caitlin Clark-less Fever was their defense. In their previous game against the Golden State Valkyries, forward Aerial Powers blamed their defense for the defeat, noting that they had some "defensive mishaps."

Following their game with the Mercury, Lexie Hull reiterated the same chronic problem for the Fever. In her postgame presser, she highlighted how Indiana lost focus on defense and allowed Phoenix to go on some "little runs" that eventually doomed them.

"I was just going to say heading into halftime, I think there was a timeout with like two minutes left and then that was about the time they went on that run. And I think for us, it was just those lapses of focus on our defensive game plan," Hull shared, referencing the 10-3 run that Phoenix had to close the first half (via reporter Tony East).

"And they're a good team, they take advantage of those. So, you know, it's going to take a full 40 minutes for us. I feel like we came back in the second half and competed a lot better and locked in on what we wanted to do defensively, but again, it's those little runs that hurt us and really changed the game."

For what it's worth, Fever head coach Stephanie White acknowledged her team's major problem. Speaking to reporters, the Indiana tactician noted that their "lack of attention to detail defensively" was one of two things that doomed them, along with their 12 turnovers.

The challenge for the Fever now is addressing that problem as the playoffs approach. They still have a good shot at making the postseason, but with their defensive issues, it will be hard for them to compete against the top teams in the WNBA. White's squad ranks ninth in the league on defensive rating over the past 15 games.

The Fever no longer have a chance to finish with a homecourt advantage come the postseason, so they will have to really step up defensively if they want to contend for the title.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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