Indiana Fever crushed for first time in 2026, Likes and Dislikes from loss versus Portland
The Fever were clobbered for the first time this season.
MY OFFICE, Ind. – The Fever were in Portland on Saturday night, battling the Fire for the second time in 10 days. Last week, the Fever rolled to a win even without Caitlin Clark.
Lexie Hull was tremendous in that first matchup, as were Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. The Fire play an aggressive style, and it takes composed play to beat them.
The Fever had their full roster available once again and were looking to bounce back after their winning streak ended two nights ago. Likes and dislikes from Fever versus Fire.
Tony East
LIKE: Caitlin Clark's passing early
Clark, in her first-ever game against the Fire, was a masterful passer in the first few minutes of action. On the Fever's first play, she hit Aliyah Boston as she slipped to the rim after a screen.
After drilling a long two, Clark threw a gorgeous pass to a cutting Kelsey Mitchell for the Fever's third bucket. Then, a classic hit ahead in transition to Boston, who was running the floor after a stop.
Less than three minutes into the game, Clark had three assists and two points. She scored or set up all eight of Indiana's points, and Portland took a timeout trailing 8-2. It was a special start.
DISLIKE: The Fever's post-timeout response
After the aforementioned timeout from the Fire, the game completely changed. The Fire responded with an 8-0 run to take the lead, and in total it took less than two minutes.
Both teams made substitutions during that stretch, and Portland's bench was the better group. Thursday night, the Fever's bench was quite good despite a loss in Golden State
They needed to be better than they were in the first quarter vs the Fire. It took a while for anyone (it was Makayla Timpson) to score and end the Portland run, and that tied the game at 10 each.
DISLIKE: Everything?
The Fever were up 8-2. They failed to respond after a Fire timeout. Then... just about everything was off.
Foul trouble for the second unit, which put Myisha Hines-Allen on the bench. No rim defense in the slightest, even after some starters checked back in. Threes weren't falling – the Fever started 0/7 from deep. They had five early turnovers.
After falling behind 8-2, Portland went on a 21-3 run. They deserve credit for stressing the Fever out on both ends – they weren't even hitting jumpers (one of their first six from deep) and managed to build a huge lead. Just about nothing went well for the Fever, who were being doubled up on the scoreboard late in the first quarter.
After one period: Fire 29, Fever 15
DISLIKE: Droughts
Boston hit a three with 7:20 on the clock in the first quarter to give the Fever eight points. They were up six at the time. The next made shot? 8:06 on the clock in the second quarter. Raven Johnson hit a mid-range floater.
Yuck. The Fever were down 16 after Johnson's basket.
LIKE: More competence
It wasn't great, but the Fever were at least closer to the level they are capable of during the final six minutes of the first half. They trailed 41-20 with 6:10 to go in the second quarter, then found at least some footing.
Mitchell came online. The team's defense was a bit better. They got to the foul line, going 8/8 from the stripe in the final 6:09 of the first half.
That span went 17-9 in favor of the Fever. It wasn't awesome, but it was much better than the level the team showed for the prior 12 minutes of play.
Halftime score: Fire 50, Fever 37. It was tied for the Fever's lowest-scoring first half of the season.
DISLIKE: Turnovers
The Fire play aggressive defense and mix in traps well. The Fever handled it well last week, though it generally flummoxes opponents. Portland opponents average 15.3 turnovers per game, the highest number in the league.
This time, the Fever handled it poorly. They had 13 turnovers early in the third quarter (and just 10 assists at the time), and both of their early second-half turnovers led to Fire baskets within six seconds. Not only were the Fever failing to take care of the ball, they were giving it up during live play.
Indiana started the third quarter by making five of their first seven shots. Yet their deficit on the scoreboard actually widened because of their turnovers and transition defense.
DISLIKE: Forcing it
I love using numbers to enforce my points, but there's not really a good one here. It's more so human nature. When a team is playing as poorly as the Fever were on Saturday night, it's natural for players to force it and try to make heroic plays as individuals.
The Fever had too much of that in the final minutes of the third quarter. Most of Portland's shots? Open. Several Fever looks? Challenging, contested, and not much passing beforehand.
DISLIKE: Closing the third quarter
The Fire were celebrating every wide open three they generated down the stretch of the third quarter, and their crowd was rocking. The Fever looked lifeless. In the final 1:50 of play in the third quarter, the Fire scored 14 points. That's a point every 7.86 seconds.
The Fever scored just five in that stretch. Portland blew the game open and were close to securing the win.
After three quarters: Fire 87, Fever 62.
DISLIKE: Foul trouble
In a blowout loss, one of the silver linings is seeing young players get extended minutes. Yet with 6.5 minutes to go, part of that benefit was removed for the Fever as Johnson fouled out.
Johnson was terrific against the Valkyries on Thursday but much less productive in this game. One of the Fever's other first or second-year players active for this game was Timpson, and she was a bright spot. Johnson, however, wasn't and left the game early.
Clark was also in foul trouble, as was Hines-Allen in the first half. It altered the Fever's rotation all night.
DISLIKE: Defense and history
The Fire climbed over 100 points via a Frieda Buhner layup with 1:24 left in the game. That marked the third time this season that the Fever conceded 100-plus points in one game.
It's already only the fifth time in Fever history (2018, 2020, 2023, and 2024) they've had three games allowing 100 or more points in one season. This was just their eighth game of the 2026 campaign.
Their defense was poor. Their offense was hardly better, finishing with a season-low 84 points.
Final score: Fire 100, Fever 84. The Fever are back to .500 at 4-4.
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