INDIANAPOLIS — Rivalry is nothing new to the Sky and Fever.
Since the Sky’s inaugural season in 2006, they’ve battled with the Fever for the title “Best in the Midwest.”
Of course, people would like to bring the Lynx into the conversation. But they’ve four titles in seven years, which puts them in a different conversation than the Sky and Fever altogether. The other truth is, with under 200 miles separating Chicago from Indianapolis, it always has been personal between these two franchises specifically.
“I look back through the years, and we were always battling in the playoffs,” said Fever general manager Lin Dunn, who served as the Fever’s coach from 2008 to 2014. “When they had Elena Delle Donne and Pokey Chatman was the coach.”
The most competitive era between the Sky and Fever was between 2013 and 2015, when they met in the postseason three consecutive times. The Fever were fresh off their lone title in 2012, and the Sky, with Delle Donne, Sylvia Fowles and Chatman, were attempting to reach those same heights.
However, in recent years, the rivalry has lost its edge. The Fever have not qualified for the postseason since 2016, Tamika Catchings’ final year in the WNBA. After missing the playoffs in 2017 and 2018, the Sky have made five consecutive postseason appearances, including their title run in 2021.
A new chapter began Saturday, with the Sky and Fever’s first matchup with their new crop of rookies headlined by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Another layer is rookie Kamilla Cardoso and Fever center — 2023 Rookie of the Year — Aliyah Boston going from teammates to opponents.
This era has the potential to rival the WNBA’s most storied matchups. However, that will hinge upon the development of these young stars and both franchise’s ability to build around them in an effort to return to title contention.
“I think [this rivalry] has huge potential,” Dunn said. “We’re already going to have 10 to 12,000 fans at our game [Saturday] and I’m expecting a sell out when we come up there. People are already getting all wound up about Reese and Clark meeting for the first time. That’s generating a lot of interest because it goes back to their competition
in college and we love carrying that over.”
There’s no denying the specific impact of the 2024 rookie class.
Ahead of the season, there were questions about whether the record-setting viewership and audiences that followed many of them, and more specifically Clark, through their college careers, would, in fact, translate to the WNBA. After the first two weeks of the season, we already see that it has.
Reese and the Sky played their first two games in Dallas before sold-out crowds. The Fever’s May 18 loss to the Liberty was the most-watched WNBA game of all time, with 1.71 million viewers tuning in.
Both are indications that the individual star power of Reese and Clark can serve as a lightning rod for this rivalry’s resurgence.
Out sick
The Sky’s Diamond DeShields was downgraded to out an hour before tipoff with a non-covid-related illness. She did not travel with the team to Indianapolis.
This and that
– Fever coach Christie Sides and Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon both graduated from Louisiana Tech. Sides spent two years with the program from 1998-2000, and Weatherspoon is in the school’s Hall of Fame, having led Louisiana Tech to an NCAA title in 1988.
– Clark came into Saturday’s game tied with Diana Taurasi for most made threes this season with 24. She is also fourth in the league in assists per game, averaging 6.6. The Sparks’ Cameron Brink is the only other rookie who is among the league’s top five in a major statistical category. She is third in the league in blocks per game averaging 2.7.