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A Special Fever Report with John & Michelle: Caitlin's Season is Over (2.19.3) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

• 0:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: What you are listening to now is a special fever report with John Robertson and Michelle Garmin, the topic, of course, being the premature end to Caitlin Clark's season and a sad sad fever pace.
• 0:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: We will not have a fever report this weekend as scheduled because of college football and the NFL, but we will return with our fever coverage next week.
• 0:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: If you're listening to the Central Indiana Sports Report with your host, Greg Midgowns.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome to the Central Indiana Sports Report.
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I am joined by our fever guide, John Robertson, and Tipped in Tribune and L. Wood Colleaders Sports Editor Michelle Garmin.
• 0:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: And John, it's official.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_03]: It is official Caitlyn Clark has announced she's out for the season.
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_03]: While I'm sad because I want to see Caitlyn Clark play, I think as I said a couple of weeks ago, this is probably the best choice for the team long-term and probably best for her health long-term, knowing we were going to be struggling and to get her back in rhythm and knowing that we would have a hard batch up in the playoffs regardless.
• 1:20
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think shutting it down and not risking a much larger injury is the better choice.
• 1:25
  [SPEAKER_03]: I just, you know, you hate to see it because
• 1:32
  [SPEAKER_03]: But I, I guess, right, move.
• 1:33
  [SPEAKER_03]: What do you guys think?
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: I agree with you, John.
• 1:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: It might, might be different if the fever hadn't been decimated by injuries outside of Caitlyn's injury.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: But, you know, you nailed it on the head.
• 1:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought the last podcast we did when you said that, even if she came back, she wasn't going to make a big difference in the playoffs because it's just,
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: her, her just won getting one back with the way thrusters been decimated.
• 2:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's not good.
• 2:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: And all it would have done was put a target on her back and and risk another injury.
• 2:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: So it's the right move.
• 2:17
  [SPEAKER_03]: I had a feeling this was coming a couple weeks ago.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_03]: I don't remember how long it was that I vocalized it.
• 2:21
  [SPEAKER_03]: But I really had a feeling that even before the all-star game, when she was in tears after the re-entry, like I think she knew then that it was potentially season ending.
• 2:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's my question, John.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Did they know this all along?
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_03]: I've questioned it myself.
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_03]: I don't want to say that I haven't thought that.
• 2:43
  [SPEAKER_03]: I do think Caitlin was putting in the work trying to get back.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_03]: was willing to admit that it was over.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_03]: Did the front office know part of me thinks maybe, but tickets weren't selling that well anyways?
• 2:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a different world as far as that goes now.
• 2:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Then it used to be with tickets.
• 3:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 3:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: It begins with the secondary market.
• 3:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: They really were hooked was hoping that before all the other injuries happened that they would have Caitlyn back maybe for the last week the regular season into the playoffs.
• 3:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: I really believe that with her putting in work and she had some little setbacks, but I'm going to guess that the front office started especially after Sophie's injury probably really started questioning whether or not
• 3:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: They should really try to push Caitlin back and and but part of that is up to her to and she is a highly competitive person is one of the reasons she's so fiery on on the basketball court.
• 3:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think she's ever had a significant injury like this.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_03]: I want to say I think that's a much more likely take on these outcomes are easier and say it's a much more likely take the front office really thought they could bring her back but as they started to have injuries pile up they were like.
• 3:53
  [SPEAKER_03]: is it worth it to push it.
• 3:54
  [SPEAKER_03]: They were willing to push it if the playoff race would have been in a good position.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_03]: They was willing to push it if the roster looked good around her.
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_03]: But with like all of the injuries you hear it, she would have an impact.
• 4:05
  [SPEAKER_03]: She would make the team better, but not better enough to make a championship run.
• 4:09
  [SPEAKER_03]: So why waste your time and risk injury when you just go for it next?
• 4:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, if you're 100%, you remember Michael Jordan famously in 1985.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: came back for the last few games to get the bulls into the playoffs despite the organization not wanting that.
• 4:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: He went against their orders as we see and they did minutes restrict him and they won anyway.
• 4:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: They beat the Pacers in the last game to sneak in the playoffs.
• 4:35
  [SPEAKER_03]: About winning because they wanted the better water pick.
• 4:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: But Michael Jordan said, well, what we want to do is get in the playoffs and that's more important than any draft pick.
• 4:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: So there's an argument to be made that if she's 100% she should be playing.
• 4:51
  [SPEAKER_03]: I don't think she is a hundred percent.
• 4:53
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think maybe eight, eight, eight, eight, five.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: If she's not done, she should not be playing at all.
• 4:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's not even a question.
• 5:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: If she's not a hundred percent, there's no reason for her to be playing.
• 5:05
  [SPEAKER_03]: I truly like, I've said this several times and I love Kate and I want to see her playing.
• 5:10
  [SPEAKER_03]: She makes the game so much more exciting.
• 5:12
  [SPEAKER_03]: She would change her being on the floor, changes everything for the fever.
• 5:16
  [SPEAKER_03]: Even if it's not her doing the scoring, she requires so much
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_03]: But I just don't think it's worth it with the situation they're in.
• 5:26
  [SPEAKER_03]: It's too much risk for too little reward.
• 5:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: You make sure one or two how much of what happened with Haliburton plays played a little bit in into that.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, they're not headed to the NBA or W NBA finals with a depleted roster in Kate and back.
• 5:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: It is the same organization.
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: There is some kind of shell shock.
• 5:46
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I think your, I think your comparison to Jordan's very apropos.
• 5:49
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think it's, I thought that earlier, too.
• 5:51
  [SPEAKER_03]: Kim is his whole second season.
• 5:52
  [SPEAKER_03]: Basically, Kaila Smith is their whole second season.
• 5:54
  [SPEAKER_03]: She's going to come back and do great things next year.
• 5:58
  [SPEAKER_03]: As fans, we are heartbroken.
• 6:00
  [SPEAKER_03]: We are devastated that this is the news.
• 6:03
  [SPEAKER_03]: But I think we all kind of saw a coming.
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think that if you look at the five stages of grief, I'm already in acceptance.
• 6:09
  [SPEAKER_03]: I've been in acceptance for a minute.
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Exactly.
• 6:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: That, and the fact that there's more than a decade left of Caitlyn Clarke ahead of us makes it not heartbroken, it's probably the wrong word.
• 6:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, well, yes, even then maybe, you know, might just be interruptives.
• 6:27
  [SPEAKER_03]: All right, that's one of those things that I think makes women's sports kind of like fascinating, I guess, is the word because like, you know, these
• 6:37
  [SPEAKER_03]: these women have a limited time to have children if they want to have children so that is going to interrupt their career at some point.
• 6:43
  [SPEAKER_03]: So like you have to plan slightly differently around it.
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we would all be, it's a whole other topic for different day.
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And of course, we'd all be even happier for her having a child than winning a championship.
• 6:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: So it's a whole different level of life.
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: So that makes, yeah, even as sports fans we understand we can graduate her and suffer the losses.
• 7:04
  [SPEAKER_03]: I do think it's an interesting twist on sports because we don't have to talk about that stuff with midsports.
• 7:09
  [SPEAKER_03]: They become dads, but they're not incapacitated for seasons because we're becoming a dad.
• 7:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: That is true.
• 7:14
  [SPEAKER_00]: That is what makes women sports a little bit intriguing because you don't know why you're pregnant, you know.
• 7:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: After the loss on Wednesday that makes Friday's game even bigger to make the playoffs John Michelle does this news of Katelyn Clark being out dampen your spirits toward this playoff run this I don't think it dampens my spirits as far as I think it's still a great opportunity for a lot of players that are on our core to get practice in playoff situations.
• 7:47
  [SPEAKER_03]: But I don't have my expectations for them going far in the playoffs.
• 7:51
  [SPEAKER_03]: Like I'm kind of like, well, this is just see what happens and move on.
• 7:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to the game.
• 7:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'd make the last week, which is a week that's going to be for a playoff spot.
• 8:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Any less thrilling to you because the final result isn't going to be what we were hoping coming into the year.
• 8:08
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think yes, but I also kind of think that my brain has already been at that point.
• 8:13
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think I've been there for a couple of weeks.
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm still thrilled about them making the playoffs because I think Caitlyn said it or kind of stated it perfectly in her tweet that what this team, the adversity and I know she's proud of her teammates and I think making the playoffs is a big thing for them for all they have went through this season.
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: Are they gonna make a playoff run?
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: I really don't believe that it's gonna happen.
• 8:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: the links in the first round.
• 8:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: No, I'm not saying they'll get swept because they might be able to sneak one out, but I'm excited and I'm kind of thrilled for them to make a playoff run, and I'm like John for a while, especially as those injuries piled up.
• 9:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: my expectations decreased of what I just wanted to make the playoffs and I do think it's very important for that to happen again.
• 9:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: Let's face it.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: Leah Boston, this is her third season in the league.
• 9:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: They made it last year.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: They make it this year maybe saying resolve, but just getting there with what they've had to go through this season.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think it's huge and I think it's huge going into
• 9:29
  [SPEAKER_03]: True fever fans will celebrate the positives that came out of this awful season.
• 9:33
  [SPEAKER_03]: Became into the season with such high expectations and it just fell apart multiple times.
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: I just like celebrate Kelsey Mitchell who had an amazing season.
• 9:43
  [SPEAKER_03]: Celebrate Elliott Boston, who had a really great season.
• 9:46
  [SPEAKER_03]: Celebrate Lexi Hill for being one of the toughest players we've ever seen.
• 9:49
  [SPEAKER_03]: And then, you know, be ready to go hard next season and just hopefully luck falls our way.
• 9:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: Exactly.
• 9:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what you have to hope for.
• 10:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, you, you have to really kind of in your mind, believe that surely fake can't be so cruel to the fever again next year to have the suffers through all the adversity they have this year.
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_03]: That's assuming we haven't WMBA season next year.
• 10:18
  [SPEAKER_03]: We'll see that Fontalk for a different day because there's still a possibility that WMBA doesn't even exist next year or a place out
• 10:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's going to be interesting, though, because, although some of their jealousy-twist Caitlin, they have to in wonder a little bit, does this affect our marketing class?
• 10:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: Because they want to talk about increased attendance and numbers, but we all saw a Caitlin camp play when she camp play.
• 10:48
  [SPEAKER_03]: That's assuming that these people that the players are reasonable enough to actually admit that it's not them.
• 10:54
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I think that's a discussion for a different day because I think some of them truly believe that they're the draw.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I'm not even just talking about injuries.
• 11:03
  [SPEAKER_03]: Oh no, I know.
• 11:04
  [SPEAKER_03]: I do think the CBA test stop we can talk about that another day.
• 11:07
  [SPEAKER_03]: And I guess my final point I want to leave on is if you're a peer fan,
• 11:13
  [SPEAKER_03]: And if you're a casual, but peeling Clark's injury for the rest of the season is going to be the big story.
• 11:17
  [SPEAKER_03]: That's going to be the thing everybody talks about.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_03]: And it is a big story.
• 11:20
  [SPEAKER_03]: I don't want to take away from it.
• 11:21
  [SPEAKER_03]: But please, please don't don't diminish how hard Kelsey Mitchell works the season and how well holy and awesome play and how tough.
• 11:28
  [SPEAKER_03]: Like, I just want people to remember those as just as important because that really should be almost a big story in the grand scheme of things.
• 11:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, hey, John, you want to point out what I think that the fever literally have been
• 11:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: bitten by a bad luck, because you saw where one of their coaches blew out, he has a key.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's bringing back his toe.
• 11:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's just been.
• 11:54
  [SPEAKER_03]: The water bottle put a curse on the team when she left, and that's just the end of the story.
• 11:57
  [SPEAKER_03]: That's all there is to it.
• 11:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Sure seems that way.
• 12:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's as good explanation as anything else, John.
• 12:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I've come around to you.
• 12:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: All they need is one more win, and they're going to be in because
• 12:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: the sparks final four games Atlanta Dallas Phoenix Las Vegas they're losing at least two of those I fully expect them to win against the sky.
• 12:21
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think they're gonna pull off this win against the sky because Angel Reese is out We all agree on that win.
• 12:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: They might need one more though.
• 12:27
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so Okay, well, I think they're gonna get the one and I think that's gonna hopefully just be enough We'll see what happens.
• 12:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Big wins on Vegas watching
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, that one matters.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: I think I think if they can win that one, I really think they can win that one.
• 12:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: This central Indian esports report is a product of ITG media and I love Susie.