By Christan Braswell, edited by Charles Hamaker

Indianapolis, IN - When speaking to reporters pregame, Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn emphasized the importance of inhibiting the Indiana Fever’s pace of play.

“The pace in which they play with; on makes and misses they’re running. They’re young, they’re youthful, and you see that with what they do.”

Seattle did exactly what they set out to achieve start the game. Averaging 21.8 first-quarter points (2nd in WNBA), the Fever (13-15) are one of the most dynamic opening squads in the league. Holding them to 13 at the end of the opening frame, Quinn’s group found success in limiting transition opportunities and forcing tough shots at the rim, forcing the Fever to play in the halfcourt.

A staunch defensive approach at the point of attack from guards Jewell Loyd and Skylar Diggins-Smith fuels Seattle’s interior duo of Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor and vice versa, which was instrumental at the onset. As it continued, though, the level of intensity they normally play with slowly dissipated.

When the offense needed direction, Diggins-Smith was there to deliver it. Excelling at getting her teammates in their preferred spots, she had five assists in the first half. Diggins-Smith finished with 14 points after going scoreless at the half.

Holding the Fever in check for most of the second quarter, the momentum shifted in Indiana’s favor after an 11-5 run that gave them a one-point lead at halftime.

Indiana continued their fiery tear with a 10-5 run to start the third quarter. Whether it was off the dribble or a set play, they continued to feast at the rim. After several possessions without a score, Seattle jumped out with an 11-5 stretch of their own, tying the game at 50 with 3:35 left in the third period.

Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark responded by scoring or assisting on the next three possessions, ending the quarter with a one-point lead, 59-58. She finished with 23 points and nine assists, passing Hall of Famer Ticha Penicheiro for the most assists in a rookie season.

The fourth quarter is where the game was lost for Seattle. It’s hard to win a hard-fought game when allowing a 33-point quarter predicated on three-point shooting. After going 3-for-13 from deep in the first half, the Fever shot 50 percent in the third quarter and a scorching 80 percent in the final frame.

“On the ball, our presence was a lacking a bit in physicality,” said Quinn. “Our rotations were overhelping and we gave up a lot of threes in that span.”

Overhelping and a lack of cohesive closeouts gave way to a 20-plus point lead over Seattle in the fourth quarter. For most of the period, it appeared as if the team ran out of steam. It was the same look they had after a narrow defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Dream. With only 14 regular season games remaining, Seattle cannot afford to stack losses in this manner.

What’s next?

Following today’s loss to the Indiana Fever on ABC, making the head-to-head record between these teams 3-1 in favor of Seattle, the Storm will finish out their three-game road trip with a battle in the nations capital. The Storm will take on the Washington Mystics on Tuesday, August 20th with a tipoff time of 4PM PST. It’ll be an interesting matchup for a few reasons, as Seattle has struggled since the Olympic break ended with back-to-back losses to teams they should beat on paper, and they’ll be playing a Mystics team that’s struggled heavily this year but certainly possess the talent to make things competitive. In local TV terms, this game will be broadcast live on FOX 13 / Amazon Prime Video for those in the state of Washington.

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