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Indiana Fever forward Natasha Howard struggled against the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, scoring 6 points on just 3-9 shoooting.
Two nights later, against the same Dream opponent, she was almost unrecognizable.
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The 33-year-old veteran erupted for a game-high 26 points on 12-17 shooting. That offensive production was especially crucial because the rest of the Fever starters combined for just 13-39 shooting and risked beginning a highly-anticipated season with a 1-2 record.
How did Howard turn things around so dramatically?
“Getting out my own head — that’s the thing,” Howard told reporters after the win. “I was in my own way. Thank god I have my teammates behind me to bring that confidence out of me tonight, but also my coaches as well.”
Howard said she meditated, prayed, and got encouragement from her wife ahead of Thursday’s game.
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“That’s the only way to get me going because we got a long season and I don’t need to be in my own head and in my own way,” he said.
Earlier Thursday morning, she fittingly posted a prayer on Twitter.
Through three games, Howard is averaging 16 points per game while also elevating the Fever’s defense, which ranked near the bottom of the league last season.
Last season, as a member of the Dallas Wings, Howard averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. In 2019, she was the WNBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Sophie Cunningham makes her Fever debut
Natasha Howard wasn’t the only Fever offseason acquisition who impacted Thursday’s game. Sophie Cunningham missed the first two games of the season with an ankle sprain, made her debut on Friday, adding 9 points on 3-6 shooting in 20 minutes off the bench.
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She also tallied 6 rebounds and 3 assists, and hit a three-pointer in the waning seconds of the first quarter.
The Fever entered this season with championship expectations, and though they’ve showed flashes of greatness in the early days, the Dream have proved to be a formidable opponent. Dream guard Rhyne Howard led the way with 24 points on Thursday, Brionna Jones added 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Allisha Gray and rookie Te-Hina Paopao each added 11 points.
“I don’t feel like we match up well with them,” said Fever coach Stephanie White of the Dream. “They’re tough to handle. They got a lot of Olympians, they’re quick and skilled on the perimeter. They’re big and strong and tough on the interior. They’re experienced. We have to use our versatility to combat some of that size that they have, and we have to use our depth to wear down their really quick guards. That’s why it takes a collective effort.”
On Thursday, it was Natasha Howard that spearheaded that charge.
