.Alexa Philippou, ESPNAug 30, 2024, 11:27 PM ETCloseCovers females's university basketball and the WNBA.Recently dealt with UConn and also the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant.Stanford grad and also Baltimore indigenous with further expertise at the Dallas Morning Updates, Seattle Moments and also Cincinnati EnquirerCHICAGO - The very first three Indiana Fever-Chicago Skies games were actually determined by their very competitive nature, with those June match being made a decision by a bundled 10 points.That wasn't the instance Friday, though, in the groups' 4th and final conference of the frequent period: The High temperature (16-16) cruised to a 100-81 victory-- and led by as several as 27-- to hit the.500 result for the very first time due to the fact that May 2022, when they were actually just 2-2. Indiana's 103 straight activities under.500 was actually the third-longest touch in WNBA background, every Elias Sports Bureau.Editor's PicksThe last opportunity the franchise business was.500 or much better in the month of August? That would be actually 2016, the epic Tamika Catching's ultimate season.Behind their largest scope of victory this period, the High temperature additionally ensured a gain of the season collection against the Skies 3-1." It feels great to be sitting at.500 immediately," Indiana coach Christie Sides mentioned. "It's been actually a truly very long time due to the fact that the High temperature sat at.500. I am actually only truly proud of that and also where our company are where our experts began. However I never ever had any kind of uncertainties that this is where our experts might be." Indiana has actually been one of the most popular groups in the game since the Olympic break, enhancing to 5-1 during that stretch. By reaching the century proof on Friday-- a season higher in scoring-- the High temperature illustrated one more time exactly how they've had the greatest offense in the organization given that mid-June as well as just how they have actually turned into one of the WNBA's most unsafe teams.Rookie prodigy Caitlin Clark was actually mesmerizing with 31 factors, a career higher, and also 12 aids. She is the 5th player in WNBA background with 30 scores and 10 aids in an activity as well as third to accomplish that stat line in regulation.Chicago, which stored a Barbie Night in honor of newbie star Angel Reese, has actually dropped 5 upright video games as well as six of seven in the 2nd one-half. Michaela Onyenwere and also Lindsay Allen paced the Sky with twenty and also 19 factors, respectively.Here are actually three takeaways coming from the contest.Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY SportsFever red-hot offense shows no allow upIndiana possesses had the most ideal offensive score in the league because June 13, and Friday's performance will just enhance that number.After a starting sluggish as well as falling back by 13, the Fever got involved in a grind with their bread and butter: through pressing the pace and also converting coming from the 3-point arc. Mitchell (23 points) led the charge with 18 first-half aspects-- her most in a fifty percent this period-- but she as well as Clark incorporated for 6-for-9 shooting from 3 in the very first twenty mins. It was actually even more of the same in the 2nd one-half, allowing the High temperature to manage some of their finest 3-point firing evenings of the season (13 for 29). Clark is going to acquire the headlines for her career night, yet the crew was actually additionally easy to attribute the protective contributions of Temi Fagbenle, that was a team-best -plus 29 off the seat, Lexie Hull, who kept up her current very hot firing (3 for 4 coming from deep-seated) and also NaLyssa Smith, whose 11 third-quarter points maintained the Fever when Aliyah Boston mosted likely to the bench in foul trouble.Sky skid continuesTop accounts of the week coming from Receive unique accessibility to hundreds of fee write-ups a year from leading writers. u2022 CFB: Full week 1 sneak peek along with ideal 25 activities "u2022 That are X elements for all 32 NFL groups? "u2022 Transmission market value of this particular position always keeps increasing" Even more ESPN+ material ".The Sky had all the drive beforehand Friday and established an offensive flow that enabled them to build an 24-11 lead. Train Teresa Weatherspoon taught a next-man up mentality going into the video game along with leading marker Chennedy Carter (health and safety process) missing, and also Allen and also Onyenwere responded to the call, starting the activity a mixed 7 for 9 coming from the field and also 3 for 3 coming from the 3-point arc. At the fifty percent, where the Heavens were down merely five, those two had blended for 28 of Chicago's 42 points.Late game execution was actually the ultimatum for the Skies in latest video games, but Friday was additional of an instance of the tires decreasing as the game happened. The High temperature took within 3 due to the point of the very first, at that point won the center 2 fourths through a combined 19 factors. Even when Chicago was within single digits in the third fourth, it certainly never thought that Indiana had actually actually lost control.Since the period resumed, Weatherspoon has actually been actually urging her team to become more regimented defensively, to know and also carry out the scout. Permitting one hundred points - the absolute most the Heavens have actually permitted all time - and also allowing the Fever acquire pretty much whatever they yearned for offensively was the reverse of that." Our experts possess a bunch of factors our team need to have to improve, as well as it starts on the defensive side of the round," Weatherspoon stated. "Our team are actually certainly not being bothersome. Our team're making it possible for teams to acquire gos where they wish it, when they prefer it." Defense is actually the hardest damn point you are actually heading to play in this particular activity. In the third one-fourth, our experts sent all of them to the line repeatedly and also repeatedly." Protection Rachel Banham - who signed up with the staff last month in the profession that sent then-top marker Marina Mabrey to Connecticut - failed to hold back in the postgame press conference, stating "we simply had an absence of effort in some cases."" If you're certainly not motivated receiving your a- whipped, our company have actually obtained an issue," she said. "Then don't put on the attire. You better feel this in your trunk." Chicago does not possess a ton of time to think things out with a tough street swing in advance, where they'll participate in a Minnesota Sunday and also at Las Vegas Tuesday.Playoff nationality acquires additional interestingDon't look today, however if the routine period ended today, the Fever will gain the 6th seed in the playoffs, as they possess the tiebreaker over the likewise 16-16 Phoenix Mercury.A great deal may still modify over the upcoming three weeks, however the idea of the Fever acquiring as high as a sixth seed in the postseason appeared improbable when they began 2024 with a 1-8 report. Their favorable staying schedule - they have actually three video games left behind against groups with succeeding records as well as two of all of them go to home - must possess Indiana supporters believing quite comfy with where the team sits with playoffs around the corner.Chicago (11-20), at the same time, is actually holding on for dear life to the 8th seed surrounded by its existing season-worst losing streak. As well as yet it is still one activity ahead of the Atlanta Goal, that was up to the two-time standing up for champion Sin city Aces on Friday evening. The Desire have neglected to take advantage of off the straining Sky by shedding four right complying with wins over the Tornado, Sunlight and also Mercury to begin the second fifty percent. And also with the Wings pounding the Lynx, Dallas can not be counted out either, as it is actually now 2 games back of Chicago (as is Washington). A lot may happen in three weeks, however if the Skies wish to participate in right into late September, they require to fix their problems fast prior to a sixth consecutive postseason berth slides via their hands.