Written by: Azarr Johnson
“I enjoyed my time here. Great people, great organization, great donuts. It’s heartbreaking for the tribe and the people in this area, and the basketball fans deserve a team.” — Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White, when asked about her time with the Connecticut Sun.
For Saturday night’s game, it was two teams going in two different directions. The Indiana Fever came into Mohegan Sun Arena on a two-game winning streak, with their most recent win coming in overtime against the Chicago Sky. With that victory, the Fever were in third place behind the Atlanta Dream. Connecticut, on the other hand, was a totally different story. The Sun were not only in last place in the Eastern Conference, where they had been for most of the season, but they had also lost their last four games. Connecticut had not won a game since the last game they played in Hartford against the Los Angeles Sparks. Their need to win this game was more about breaking the losing streak than anything else.
The game started well for Connecticut, as they went on a 4-0 run to begin the game. Caitlin Clark responded by scoring the first five points for the Fever, including a fast-break layup to give Indiana a 5-4 lead. From that point on, Indiana took control of the game for the remainder of the first period. When the period was over, Clark led the team with seven points, and even though the Sun kept the game close, they still trailed the Fever 30-29.
In the second period, Connecticut’s fight to keep the game close paid off as they took the lead at the 5:56 mark, 36-34. However, the lead quickly evaporated as Indiana regained the lead, 41-36, in less than two minutes. Just like in the first period, the Fever continued to control the game, but this time they created some separation and did not allow the Sun to stay within striking distance. Indiana ended the period with a nine-point lead, 47-38. At halftime, even though Clark had 13 points, it was mostly the Kelsey Mitchell show, as she led Indiana with 15. The Fever’s lead was not just about the offensive contributions from Mitchell and Clark—it was also about their defense. Indiana held Connecticut to just nine points in the second period and limited two of the Sun’s top players, Leïla Lacan and Brittney Griner, to just four combined points.
When the second half started, the Fever continued their tight grip on the lead, holding an eight-point advantage for nearly four straight minutes until the Sun called a timeout at the six-minute mark. When play resumed, Connecticut worked its way back into the game, cutting the lead from eight to two, 59-57, forcing Indiana to call a timeout.
When Indiana returned to the floor after the timeout, it became the Aaliyah Boston show. The Sun had all the momentum, but on the next possession Boston contested a shot in the paint. On Indiana’s next possession, she was fouled and knocked down both free throws to give the Fever a six-point lead, 63-57. When the period ended, Indiana still led 63-60, but Connecticut had the momentum after outscoring the Fever 22-16 in the third period.
Once the fourth period started, that momentum carried over as the Sun took the lead, 65-64, at the 8:21 mark. This forced Indiana to call another timeout and regroup. Regroup they did. On their next possession, Caitlin Clark hit a three-point shot to regain the lead, 67-65, and then hit another three-pointer on the following possession to increase Indiana’s lead to seven, 72-65.
It looked as if the Fever had sealed the game with those shots, but the Sun fought back. Rivers and Griner made clutch baskets, and then Clark received a questionable delay-of-game technical foul. Kennedy Burke converted the technical free throw, cutting Indiana’s lead to just two, 74-72, with 2:23 left to play.
Once again, a Fever veteran stepped up. On the next possession, Sophie Cunningham hit a three-point shot to put Indiana back up by five, 77-72. She then followed it with another three-pointer to make it 80-72 and, to make sure there was no chance of a Connecticut comeback, hit one more three with 25 seconds remaining to give Indiana an 85-75 lead.
When the game ended, Clark led the Fever with 25 points, but it was Cunningham’s play that sealed the victory for Indiana, as she finished with 11 points. This win was important for the Fever because it kept them right behind the Atlanta Dream as they continue to chase a higher spot in the conference standings.
For the Sun, it was another disappointing loss—their fifth straight—and they remained at the bottom of both the Eastern Conference and the league.
Also after the game, during the postgame press conference, Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White addressed the rumors and speculation that there was friction among the team, certain players, and the coaching staff. She stated:
“I don’t know if it’s reports. It’s more like speculation, more like opinions. I don’t think we’re talking about journalism. If we’re going to continue to talk about or create news from fans on social media or whatever it may be, then that’s a problem. I think legitimate news sources need to report legitimate news.”
#WNBA #IndianaFever pic.twitter.com/W2deGSYBza
— Enveonline (@Enveonline) July 12, 2026
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