Likes and Dislikes from the Indiana Fever season opener vs Dallas Wings

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever are back. After a heartbreaking end to their 2025 campaign in Las Vegas, a much healthier version of the team hit the hardwood on Saturday afternoon. Finally, a game that mattered.

Pregame, there was a lot of excitement. Caitlin Clark, playing a regular season game for the first time since July of last year, was perhaps the most excited. She couldn't wait to play and admitted as much pregame.

The last four number one overall picks were active for this game, a difference from the preseason tilt between the Fever and Wings. The Fever won the tip on Sunday, Kelsey Mitchell scored first, and off the season went.

Likes and dislikes from the Fever opener:

Like: Early pace and paint pressure

Goodness, the pace of this game early. The Fever and Wings have combined for 33 points in the first six minutes of action with Dallas holding a one-point lead. Early offense has been the name of the game – it's been hard for either team to get into transition with so many made shots.

Even with that pace and shot accuracy, the Fever have used their halfcourt offense to generate good looks. Of their first eight made shots, seven have some right at the basket. Kelsey Mitchell is getting to the hole often and has 10 of the team's first 18 points.

Halftime numbers: The Fever have 18 made shots with 12 coming at the rim.

DISLIKE: The early substitutions

Granted, there are challenges for the Fever rotationally with Lexie Hull limited and Monique Billings out. But the first subs were almost a line change. Mitchell was on the floor with Raven Johnson, Hull, Makayla Timpson, and Damiris Dantas.

That group kept the score close. Their performance doesn't merit this dislike. Rather, a more overlapping group of starters and bench players have been able to push the Fever ahead during this stretch. Instead, the Fever finished the first quarter down by two — Clark and Myisha Hines-Allen replaced Mitchell and Timpson as the next subs later in the frame.

LIKE: Second quarter Aliyah Boston

Aliyah Boston had zero points in the first quarter, then found a groove in quarter number two. The Fever needed it with most of their impact coming from the backcourt in the first quarter.

Boston hit a three, stole the ball before a layup, then finished from four feet out all in less than two minutes. The Fever had their biggest lead of the game (at the time) in the middle of that stretch.

Also: Boston is probably going to draw a ton of fouls this season. Her second quarter stats: 12 points and one rebound.

LIKE: Caitlin Clark settling in

The second half started with a three from Clark. The Fever's next basket, another. After the second make, Clark spun in place with a fist pump before locking in for defense. Clearly, that short flurry helped with her pep.

A few plays passed, then Clark hit Hines-Allen with a behind-the-back pass in the lane. Later, Clark hit a transition layup. Just like that, she was the Fever's leading scorer. And her energy was rising. After the transition bucket, she pumped up her arms to get the crowd excited while actively defending Odyssey Sims.

Five minutes into the second half, the Fever had cut their deficit down to two. Clark led the charge.

Clark's third quarter stats: 10 points and two assists. Hard to tell what she is going through today, but Clark has gone to the tunnel a few times throughout the night.

DISLIKE: Fever defense, generally

The Wings were 10/16 on threes at halftime. That's unusually warm, and they went 0/3 in the third quarter. Some luck was involved in the Fever's first half defensive results.

But many of those threes were wide open. The Fever's transition defense was lackluster, too, and they've been very hit and miss with their mixed-in double teams against Paige Bueckers. They're leaving a lot to be desired on the less glamorous end of the floor.

If this Fever team wants to reach the highs they believe they can, better defense will be a requirement. Many players looked a step slow on that end throughout the game, either because of slow processing or poor positioning.

DISLIKE: Late-game offense

The Fever have too much talent to have sluggish offensive possessions. It took a while to get into their sets in the fourth quarter, and even that turned into a reliance on creativity from star players.

That's fine in some games. The Fever have a lot of stars. But it wasn't as easy as the team needed it to be. It took over six minutes for the Fever to score 10 points in the fourth quarter.

There were some better minutes in the final four minutes. Mitchell had a wide open look from deep to tie the game with about 61 seconds to go, then Clark inside the final 10 seconds. But there wasn't enough flow late.

Mostly, the Fever's offense was fine. But not late, and their defense was poor. Despite chances to even the score, the Fever were defeated.

Final score: Wings 107, Fever 104. Fever record: 0-1.

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