The Indiana Fever found themselves on the wrong side of a tough playoff battle on Tuesday night, and much of the conversation afterward centered on the game’s physicality. The Las Vegas Aces imposed their style of play, and it quickly became clear that the officials would play a significant role in shaping the outcome. For Fever head coach Stephanie White, that reality was frustrating, as she believed the constant whistles prevented her team from finding an offensive rhythm.
Indiana guard Lexie Hull, who scored 15 points in the loss, admitted that the physicality of the series has been relentless. “It feels like a physical game every game,” Hull said. “It feels like it’s been a physical season. I feel like I’ve been on the ground a little bit more this series so far. We just keep getting back up.” Her comments echoed a sentiment that has grown across the league — playoff basketball is starting to resemble something closer to football in terms of contact, a point Aces coach Becky Hammon has also raised.
White, however, didn’t hold back in her postgame remarks. She noted that the barrage of foul calls made it nearly impossible for the Fever to establish their offensive flow. “Well, it’s hard for us to find flow when there is a foul call every 10 seconds. I mean, it just really is. And when they’re at the free throw line, we can’t get up and down the floor. And that’s a challenge,” she said.
Still, the Fever coach also acknowledged her team’s shortcomings, admitting that the Aces dictated the pace with their aggressive defense. “They were much more physical and aggressive defensively and we didn’t counter that with our off-ball actions or back cuts. So they took us out of our comfort zone. I mean offense is about rhythm, it’s about timing, it’s about spacing. We allowed them to do that and they kept us from doing it,” White explained.
The numbers reflected the tense back-and-forth nature of the contest. Game 2 saw a staggering 41 fouls called, including 16 in the third quarter alone. That was a significant jump from Game 1, which had 27 total fouls. The Aces ultimately benefitted, taking 21 trips to the free throw line compared to 15 for the Fever. For Indiana, the challenge moving forward will be finding ways to adapt to the physical style of play without losing their offensive identity.
