Fever defense can't contain Dream as winning streak ends, Likes and Dislikes
The Fever gave up over 100 points... again.
INDIANAPOLIS – There was a palpable buzz for Fever vs Dream on Thursday night, and for good reason. Caitlin Clark debuted her new shoes. The Fever entered winners of four straight. Atlanta was looking for revenge after a loss in Indy two weeks ago.
And, of course, it was a playoff rematch from the 2025 postseason. There were tons of storylines swirling Fever-Dream, and these two teams play again in Atlanta on Saturday. This meeting had all the makings of a great battle.
The winner of this game would leave the arena with a better spot in the standings. Likes and Dislikes from Fever vs Dream.
Tony East
LIKE: Early offensive pace
The Dream attemped four free throws in the first five minutes of the game, and between both teams there were seven fouls in that span. Usually, that's a bad sign for the Fever. Their play style can falter in a slower game flow.
But they were solid early. Clark scored five quick points, and the Fever's ball movement was sharp to start the action. Six different players attempted a shot during the Fever's first nine field goal attempts. Six of those shots went in, with four assisted.
It was a quality offensive start for the Fever despite a more in-the-mud first few minutes. The Fever led 13-10 when the game's first lengthy stoppage arrived.
LIKE: Difficult Kelsey Mitchell jumpers
To close the first quarter, the Fever's offense did stumble a bit. Once Clark and Aliyah Boston went to the bench, it became harder (naturally) for the team to generate good shots.
And yet, Kelsey Mitchell kept the points coming. Twice, the star guard wiggled free for a jump shot on a flat possession. And twice, she drilled it.
It was an important five-point run for Mitchell to bail out some otherwise bad play. And those five points helped the Fever lead by... five at the end of the first quarter at 29-24.
DISLIKE: Rough defense to start the second quarter
The Fever led by five to start the second quarter. They were down by two 75 seconds into the period.
The Dream scored seven quick points while the Fever scored zero. In that stretch: an easy transition layup for Jordin Canada, a wide-open three for Rhyne Howard, and a five-footer from Naz Hillmon.
It was an ugly defensive start to the quarter for the Fever. Stephanie White called a timeout to stop the game and talk to her team.
LIKE: Sophie Cunningham will never* miss again
Sophie Cunningham entered Fever vs Dream having made nine of her last 11 three-point shots across two games. She's been on fire since getting a PRP injection in her elbow, then missing Fever vs Sky.
In the first quarter, Cunningham hit a triple on her first attempt of the game. In the second, she did so again. That put her at a ridiculous 11 of her last 13 from long range. She's been on fire, raising the floor of the Fever's offense.
After the second outside shot, Ty Harris threw a gorgeous pass in transition to Cunningham, and she finished the layup. That put the on-fire Cunningham at eight first half points with plenty of time until halftime. She's been on a tear of late.
*She will miss again at some point... right?
DISLIKE: A 10-point swing
The Fever led by one with 6:18 to go until halftime. They were down nine less than five minutes later at 54-45. It was a rough stretch for the Fever with some failures on both ends.
The more pressing issues were on defense. In the final 6:18 of the second quarter, the Fever gave up 21 points. The Dream shot 8/13 and dominated the glass 7-1 in that span. They had a ton of chances to score and took advantage.
Meanwhile, Clark looked gassed and had a three-possession stretch in which she was clearly frustrated with the officials. And she missed three consecutive foul shots, a rarity for her. Altogether, the Dream closed the first half on a 21-11 run and led 58-49 at the break.
DISLIKE: Trading buckets to start the second half
The Dream reached 73 points on the scoreboard with five minutes to go in the third quarter. That's notable because they scored just 71 total in the first meeting between these teams two weeks ago. The Fever's defense wasn't as sharp. They were getting carved up.
Offensively, the Fever were largely doing enough to keep up. But they were, at best, trading buckets to begin the third quarter. That wouldn't cut it with the team behind on the scoreboard. They needed to figure something out on defense, and fast.
All 14 players huddled up to chat during a timeout with 4:59 on the clock in the third quarter. Instead of sitting on the bench or hydrating immediately, the team opted for a conversation. They were down 12 at the time.
That's how much of the third quarter went for the Fever. It was a seesaw period with few defining runs or moments from an individual. And that's why the Fever's deficit started and ended the third in the same spot: nine points. It was 87-78 after the frame.
DISLIKE: Ciatlin Clark foul trouble
Clark was called for a fifth foul with 8:41 on the clock in the fourth quarter. She's never fouled out before, so this game was going to be a test.
There wasn't much to the fifth foul called on Clark, but the Fever didn't have a challenge. So Clark went to the bench for Mitchell. That hurt the Fever – Clark was cooking offensively in this one.
LIKE: Aliyah Boston taking over to start the fourth quarter
Boston took it upon herself to get the Fever going in the fourth, especially after Clark's fifth foul. Boston scored the Fever's first six points of the quarter, all of them coming right at the basket or from the foul line.
The team's eighth points of the frame came from Mitchell, but Boston assisted the bucket. The Fever were grooving on offense thanks to their star big, but they needed to get stops eventually. Boston was doing her part – she blocked an Angel Reese layup with just under seven minutes to go in the final quarter, and that earned a loud cheer from the crowd.
LIKE: Runs and crowd pops
With 7:23 to go, the Fever trailed 93-84. With 5:07 left, the game was tied at 93.
Boston's masterpiece sparked the Fever on both ends. They were stringing together stops and matching that defensive effort with offensive success. It was a much-needed 9-0 run, and the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd loved it. They were on their feet and loud after the surge.
DISLIKE: The final minutes
The Fever and Dream were tied at 95 with just over three minutes to go. The crowd was into it. And suddently, the Fever's offense fell apart.
They couldn't generate quality looks and kept taking the ball out of the net. Makayla Timpson was too involved offensively. Atlanta found the right matchups when they had the ball.
It led to success for the Dream and failure for the Fever. The final 195 seconds of the game: Dream 13, Fever 6.
That led to defeat for the Fever despite their great push to begin the fourth quarter. The Fever's four-game winning streak ended and they fell to 9-6. Final score: Dream 108, Fever 101.
Thank you for reading. The Fever now head to Atlanta to play the Dream again this weekend. Sign up for a quick reaction story from that game, too.
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