Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark work on team bonding during Olympic break

INDIANAPOLIS – The first 10 minutes of Indiana Fever practices during the WNBA summer break had little or nothing to do with basketball — not directly, anyway.

One day the team held a scavenger hunt. On another, a home run derby. (“Of course I won,” Caitlin Clark said.) In one which did involve hoops, players helped a blindfolded teammate through an obstacle course, with the goal of finishing with a layup.

Coach Christie Sides said she and her assistants brainstormed those team-building exercises. She wanted to make sure one element remained part of this summer intermission: “Joy.”

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“It you don’t have that,” Sides said, “it can get really long when you don’t have a game to prepare for.”

The WNBA’s summer break for the Olympic games ends soon. The Fever play host to the Phoenix Mercury one week from Friday. After losing eight of its first nine, the team surged back into playoff contention and endeavors to keep climbing.

Sides said practices have been energetic and competitive since the team reconvened last week. Refreshed physically and mentally by time off, the players now sense the approaching urgency to get back to business.

Yet games of Knockout and 21 represent more than a fun distraction. The Fever say better team chemistry will lead to better performance when league play resumes.

“You see their true personality,” Clark said. “You see what they’re passionate about. You goof with them. It’s the little things that can go a long way in building a team.

“To me, it’s not always about the talent that you have. Obviously that helps, but at the same time, you have to have really good relationships if you want to be a championship-winning team. And I think Christie has done a really good job of trying to instill that in all of us.”

One can imagine how enhanced chemistry could address the two areas which most need to see improvement.

Defense became a focal point as soon as the players returned from time off. Only one team allows more points per game than the Fever’s 87.3. When they hold teams to 84 or fewer points, they are 11-0.

To aid that cause, the Fever also must better take care of the ball. The Fever’s 15.4 turnovers per game are fourth-most in the league. Its 17.9 points allowed off turnovers ranks third-worst. Nothing more deflating than getting a stop at one end only to give points away at the other.

Better communication and synchronicity can help in both areas.

“Especially in tough moments, not separating, continuing to get closer,” second-year center Aliyah Boston said. “I think that’s just going to work with us, especially coming in the second half of the season.”

Business has not turned completely serious, though.

After Tuesday’s practice, the players pranked Sides with the viral “Just give me my money” TikTok trend. Several Fever players repeated that phrase to the cheers and claps of their teammates, only to stand in stone silence when the unwitting Sides did the same.

Then, everyone cracks up together.

“It’s always great to just be able to build that energy — especially off the court,” Boston said. “Once you’re fully connected off the court, on the court’s just easier.”

If it brings a little more joy to the mix, Sides can’t really complain.