The Indiana Fever ended their nearly year-long drought without a win by defeating the Atlanta Dream with a score of 90-87. This victory marked the Fever's first win since June 19, 2022, snapping a 20-game losing streak that was tied for the longest in WNBA history.
Fever coach Christie Sides emphasized the importance of building a strong team culture and praised her players for their hard work and dedication. Establishing a winning culture and being the hardest-working team were key priorities for the Fever from the beginning of the season.
The Indiana Fever last made the playoffs in 2016, following the retirement of franchise legend Tamika Catchings. Since then, they have experienced a postseason drought, but the franchise previously had an impressive streak of 12 consecutive playoff appearances, including three trips to the WNBA Finals and winning the league championship in 2012.
In the 2022 season, the Fever had their lowest number of victories in franchise history, finishing with a 5-31 record. Head coach Marianne Stanley was fired in May 2022 after a 2-7 start to the season, and Carlos Knox served as the interim coach, leading the team to a 3-24 record.
Under new head coach Christie Sides, who was hired on November 4, 2022, the Fever showed signs of improvement. They secured their first win of the current season against the Chicago Sky on June 19, 2022, but then went on to lose their remaining 18 games of the regular season.
The Fever held the No. 1 pick in the 2022 WNBA draft and used it to select Aliyah Boston from South Carolina. Boston has been a consistent performer for the Fever, contributing 13 points and 7 rebounds in the recent victory against the Dream.
Leading the way in Sunday's game was forward NaLyssa Smith, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 draft from Baylor, who recorded an impressive double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B55pItll7s