Fever notebook: International break arrives as Clark, Boston get ready for action

INDIANAPOLIS – Hello from day four of the FIBA World Cup break that has paused the WNBA. It's a mental reset for everyone, even the players suiting up in international play next week, and a physical break for many.

The Fever reached this late intermission with a 26-14 record with four games to go. They are in a tight race for homecourt advantage in the first round of the postseason, with Atlanta (26-14) and Las Vegas (27-13) being their main competition. New York, Washington, and Dallas (all 24-16) are making a late push.

Three wins for the Fever in their final four games would secure them a top-five seed. But they play Minnesota, who hold the league's best record, twice (Lynx motivation in those games TBD) and Washington once in a critical game. Three wins won't come easy.

All of that action doesn't resume for more than two weeks. In the meantime, most of the Fever roster gets some practice and mental reset time while stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston play for Team USA in the World Cup. Head coach Stephanie White is an assistant on staff for the red, white, and blue.

The Women's Basketball World Cup takes place in Berlin, Germany this year. Team USA has a new-look roster, head coach Kara Lawson said there are seven players getting their first taste of international competition. She's instructing them to be themselves.

"Caitlin's ready. Caitlin's focused. She's had a great campaign with Indiana," Lawson told reporters. "I've gotten to watch her a lot in person this summer. So she's locked in and ready to go."

The full squad: Clark, Boston, Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron, Rhyne Howard, Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Kiki Iriafen, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, Jackie Young, and Angel Reese. Lawson's assistants are White, Jose Fernandez, Nate Tibbetts, and Natalie Nakase.

"I have really talented coaches on the staff," Lawson said. "The coaches' meetings are vibrant. They're full of a lot of good conversation, challenging conversation."

The schedule for Team USA in the World Cup

Team USA is in Group D along with Italy, China, and Czechia. They open play against China at 8:15 a.m. ET on Friday, then play on September 6 (Italy) and 7 (Czechia) at 2:45 p.m. ET.

If Team USA wins their group, they would begin knockout stage competition in the quarterfinals on September 10. If they finish second or third in Group D, they would play on September 9. If they lose the group, they would be eliminated – though they are heavy favorites.

The semifinals will be played on September 12, then the Final and third-place game on September 13.

"We need their production. We need their confidence. We need their games to win this tournament," Lawson said of the team's young players. "And so that's why they're here. They're here to help us win."

Also of note in Fever land

Over the past weekend, Unrivaled announced many of their signees for the third season of the league, which will feature more stops around the country and less action in Miami.

Three Fever players are set to participate in Aliyah Boston, Lexie Hull, and Monique Billings. Opining for a moment: Boston's addition caught my eye as she got hurt playing in Unrivaled last season and has been battling injury all year for the Fever. I wonder what her offseason will look like, but she's under contract with the three-on-three league going forward.

25% of the Fever's roster being together in the offseason certainly isn't a bad thing. All three of Billings, Hull, and Boston are currently under contract with Indiana for the 2027 season.

Also, the WNBA announced a new logo for the WNBA Finals. That's where the Fever want to be this season.

Thank you for reading. I'll post analysis of Team USA's games here, so sign up to have those stories sent straight to your email inbox.