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"They're Gonna Figure It Out" (The Fever Report with John Robertson & Michelle Garmon, 276.2) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

• 0:01
  [SPEAKER_04]: You are listening to the Fever Report with John Robertson and Michelle Garmin, and it's only on the Central Indiana Sports Report.
• 0:13
  [SPEAKER_04]: Welcome Fever Fans to this week's Fever Report with John Robertson and Michelle Garmin.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_04]: It's kind of a combination of Fever Report and Reaction Podcast because the Fever just lost 184
• 0:27
  [SPEAKER_04]: the Portland fire, but we haven't talked since their last game either.
• 0:31
  [SPEAKER_04]: And guys, if we had talked following the last game, I was going to start with this team just not very good right now, and tonight just kind of emphasize that.
• 0:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: I don't want to agree with that.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: They didn't play very well.
• 0:49
  [SPEAKER_04]: I don't think you can argue.
• 0:50
  [SPEAKER_04]: They haven't even played a good team yet, and they're four and three.
• 0:55
  [SPEAKER_04]: I still think they're going to win the championship in the end, but right now they're not a very good basketball team.
• 1:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, I don't know if there's a respond to that other than they have things to work on.
• 1:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: We've talked multiple times about how defenses they're problem, right?
• 1:15
  [SPEAKER_02]: Do you agree that defenses the struggle?
• 1:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the problem with not having defenses when you have a potent offense, you can
• 1:25
  [SPEAKER_02]: But when the shots aren't falling, you can't outscore your bad defense.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's what I think we saw tonight for sure.
• 1:31
  [SPEAKER_02]: The shots just weren't falling.
• 1:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: And when you're not defending, and your shots aren't falling, you're going to lose by 20 something.
• 1:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: The Valkyrie's game, they played bad, but they only lost by what, too.
• 1:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: So, number, either.
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm just saying they played badly and it was still only lost by two and the Valkyries have been pretty solid.
• 1:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I thought that game wasn't as bad as everybody was making out to me.
• 1:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: Tonight was bad.
• 1:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not stressed.
• 2:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think they'll figure it out.
• 2:03
  [SPEAKER_04]: Well, I'm not saying there's a reason to be stressed.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_04]: I'm just saying that right this very moment Michelle, they're just not very good.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: And here's how I'm going to do it because.
• 2:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: when I used to coach in sixth grade, I always started out in the post game or after practice with negatives and always ended with positive.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: So I'm gonna do that tonight because I think there's been some negatives the last two games, a lot of negatives tonight.
• 2:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think some of the negatives are, we just are not in, but whatever reason we're not in,
• 2:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: any kind of really half court offensive rhythm.
• 2:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're great.
• 2:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're fine.
• 2:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: We're able to get out in transition.
• 2:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: But in the half court, we have not really found a rhythm to last throughout the game.
• 2:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: Defensively, we are getting killed.
• 2:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I will say this.
• 2:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to get credit to the coaching
• 3:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: they're finding a way to get the to see who if Caitlin's matched up on somebody that is a good guard that can go off the dribble and then that's who they get the ball to and they're taking advantage of her
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: weakness, which is on ball defense.
• 3:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's a good defender when she's a help defender, a weak side defender, but on ball she's still shot anywhere close to being in all the offensive level, or even I'm not sure.
• 3:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't think a lot of games she's even been an average.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: on Ball Defender.
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: I've just been way below average on Ball Defender.
• 3:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: That hurts, especially because now Kelsey Mitchell, she played, I think her best defense, I'd seen her play in the first half of the last game against the Valkyries.
• 3:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: But in the fourth quarter, her and Kate Luron, the floor both together defensively, and Kelsey Mitchell was alive.
• 3:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: She was even more of a liability at that point.
• 4:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: and uh but tonight I thought she didn't play very well the first quarter but I don't know that was her defense played well she played well defensively in the second quarter there just wasn't nobody really played well
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: in the game against Portland tonight.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know Portland made a lot of shots, but my golly teams are gonna make a lot of shots when you let him be uncontested.
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I have no idea.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think this was the worst defensive game I may have ever seen a Lea Boston play.
• 4:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: I have no idea why she's trying to double
• 4:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: team up at the top of three point shooter and she made gustison look whoever was guarding gustison tonight kind of did that loss or made her look all world she was all world in college but at the pro level she slow and she hasn't been what you would call all the NBA player but they made her look like one tonight.
• 4:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know that a lot of coaches wouldn't want to show this and maybe you don't make
• 5:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: We play bad.
• 5:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: There's no excuses.
• 5:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: We play bad.
• 5:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now let's find some positives that we did tonight and one was we We continue to try to stay after it.
• 5:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: Uh, yeah, I just and we played well.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: For transition game Look good in the first tab so that there's a positive tonight.
• 5:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought the positive against the Vaceries was for us poorly as the fever played at times.
• 5:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: They also played some of the best basketball
• 5:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: that they played.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think this year, um, they just couldn't sustain all four quarters.
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_04]: The best sign from the Valgary's game.
• 5:42
  [SPEAKER_04]: I thought was Raven Johnson.
• 5:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I will be honest.
• 5:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the fever need to find a way to get Raven Johnson on the court for even for more minutes for at least 20 minutes.
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, because what she brings defensively and just offensively, she's so fast with the basketball that she's going to make some mistakes because she's a rookie.
• 6:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: Her ceiling is so high.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: It really is and I just think she's a spark plug and bring something and then I also think we've got to find a way maybe.
• 6:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: I guess where I'm this point, John, you tell me, I don't think Monique Billings is giving us a whole lot, and I really don't think Heinz Allen is either.
• 6:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: She had that one transition where she ran so fast down the floor and like, I think I texted, it's fastest I've seen her run in the last two games, because she was a problem against the Vakaries because she was jogging down beside somebody on defense and said, getting down into the paint and trying to provide a rim protection.
• 6:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: She didn't ever sprint at the front of the floor against the Vakaries tonight.
• 6:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: once, but she, five turnovers, she five turnovers.
• 6:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: When you're post, that's five turnovers, they're not having a good night.
• 6:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm going to go on to say ball security has been an issue for everybody.
• 7:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's been something I've been complaining about or commenting on pretty much every game.
• 7:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're, they're dropping passes, they're dropping the ball.
• 7:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: and that turns every each of these games around.
• 7:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm not gonna sit here in nitpick in a specific player or say anything specifically other than they need to rebound the ball and they need to make sure they take care of the ball.
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: I thought Ryan's Allen's has actually had some good moments not a star tonight by any means, but she's had some really good highlights and like shown some potential to be a big part of the team.
• 7:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think there's
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: figuring it out.
• 7:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: Alias struggle in a little bit with how they're calling fouls.
• 7:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And I think we talked about that earlier in the year that it was going to affect her more than anybody else.
• 7:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I think she's having a hard time getting in a rhythm a little bit.
• 7:57
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're going to figure it out.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_04]: Yes, that's the bottom line is we know this team guys.
• 8:05
  [SPEAKER_04]: We've seen them play at a high level and you throw in Raven Johnson and you know you have six really good players on your team.
• 8:14
  [SPEAKER_04]: It's I don't think that it's
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: panic.
• 8:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: It kind of all, but it kind of reminds me of the start of 2024, right, when Caitlin's first or rookie season, they started really poorly and then they started to figure out, like a month or two in the season, and then they played really well and made, they made the playoffs, didn't make a strong run, but they made the playoffs.
• 8:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then last year, we didn't really have Caitlin for the whole thing.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_02]: So,
• 8:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's whatever.
• 8:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I mean, maybe they're just figuring it out.
• 8:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because the first two minutes, there was like flashes of like show time lakeers level basketball.
• 8:51
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the pace was fast.
• 8:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: The passing was fast.
• 8:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: They were scoring quickly.
• 8:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: It was good.
• 8:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then just Portland's bigs kind of took over.
• 9:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: And that's just what it was.
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we'll see what happens.
• 9:03
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that they just got to figure out a couple of things.
• 9:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: I don't think they had to figure out the defense and rebounding.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: Here's the problem.
• 9:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: We brought in and we got, we start.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: We've got Boston coming outside and she did more last try get it after Caitlyn went down with an injury.
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: We had all those injuries.
• 9:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: She can pass the ball and it was great to have somebody and Alec there that's smart enough in a good pastor.
• 9:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: But I would like to see her maybe start inside a little bit more and let Monique be outside or up top just
• 9:38
  [SPEAKER_00]: We can find a way to create an easy play or two for Oliya to get rid of them.
• 9:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: And, but I don't know.
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: I will say this.
• 9:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think I was reading the other day or somebody I heard it a report that and I didn't realize that Caitlin Clark had said that.
• 10:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: She's having a hard time getting a, she went through a lot mentally with those injuries and that mentally it's been a battle for her to be a little I think a little afraid that entering herself of getting injured again and and I fought against the boundaries she got those assists, but I didn't think Caitlin really ever looked real comfortable, I mean she went to the free throw line.
• 10:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know on those three she just didn't look comfortable.
• 10:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: I thought tonight that she came out and I thought this may be one of her.
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: I know fever typically was as a whole, but I thought this was one of Caitlin's better games in some ways.
• 10:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: She only tert she didn't turn the ball over a lot.
• 10:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: She didn't really force or put up bad shots and I know you got away, but I just thought that she looked more comfortable.
• 10:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's what I want to say.
• 10:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: More comfortable on the floor.
• 10:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think there's been some times as sure.
• 10:58
  [SPEAKER_00]: She hasn't always looked comfortable.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think she's getting there.
• 11:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And so yeah, I'm not going to worry too much because I do think that the fever will straighten it out.
• 11:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I
• 11:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: I just hope, I think the disappointing thing tonight in some ways, because when you play defense that poorly, it's a lack of a, a lot of that's a lack of effort, defenses effort.
• 11:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: And when you give up that many uncontested shots, that's a lack of effort or not playing hard enough.
• 11:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I, that's probably the most disappointing thing to me tonight was they lacked effort at times.
• 11:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you're in the WNBA.
• 11:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: You can't afford to lack effort against anybody.
• 11:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: especially when you're on the road is all the great coaches have always said you can't you the defense is what you can pack and take into every game your offense is going to have highs and lows but your defense is what can be you can pack and it can be good every day every game because that's mostly effort and hustle and desire so
• 12:05
  [SPEAKER_04]: you don't want to make excuses, but some of it probably has to do with an early season mind you long road trip out west.
• 12:14
  [SPEAKER_04]: I think there's probably some fatigue there.
• 12:16
  [SPEAKER_04]: Probably a good thing that they don't play against.
• 12:22
  [SPEAKER_02]: I thought about the road trip be part of it, but
• 12:28
  [SPEAKER_02]: Here's what I'm mentally preparing for.
• 12:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm mentally preparing for all of the crash outs that I'm going to see about how the season's over and then blah, blah, blah, because you know it's coming.
• 12:37
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm mentally preparing for all that.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I'm probably going to ignore it and play Xbox for a couple days.
• 12:44
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's probably a good idea, John, because you're right.
• 12:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: All of the panning to be out there.
• 12:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: The fever overrated and all of that.
• 12:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: Here's the one thing I'll say.
• 12:53
  [SPEAKER_02]: regardless of whether they deserve it, regardless of whether it should be this way, because the fever, every game is nationally televised.
• 13:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: I feel like every opponent gets up for fever matches, because they know they're going to be eyes on the game.
• 13:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I think there's motivation for teams and players individuals to try and show out on those nights.
• 13:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: So I think that that does cause
• 13:20
  [SPEAKER_02]: harder games for the fever, which it is what it is.
• 13:23
  [SPEAKER_02]: You want the, you want the eyes on you, you get the pressure.
• 13:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: It's just part of it.
• 13:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not making a saying that that shouldn't be that way.
• 13:29
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I do think you're going to get a lot of people's best nights against the fever and they're going to have to just be ready for that.
• 13:34
  [SPEAKER_00]: And because other games are nationally televised, when they have a poor game or don't perform well, it's also more nationally recognized than
• 13:47
  [SPEAKER_02]: It is what it is.
• 13:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm not it's either here and over there.
• 13:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm just saying I think that some of the matchups that wouldn't normally be that tough for lots of teams are going to be tougher because players are going to try extra hard and I do think that we've looked out a rhythm.
• 14:00
  [SPEAKER_02]: They never looked comfortable with it.
• 14:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, the first two minutes they looked okay after that, I thought they didn't look comfortable at all and they were pressing way too hard and just struggling to find anything and just it wasn't working.
• 14:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think that's demonstrated by their shooting percentages tonight was terrible.
• 14:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: They didn't really find good shots after a while.
• 14:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: A few good assists here in there, but I don't know, I just never was comfortable.
• 14:26
  [SPEAKER_04]: All right, I mentioned a little earlier.
• 14:28
  [SPEAKER_04]: Thursday, June 4th is the next game at Lannett home.
• 14:32
  [SPEAKER_04]: It's start of a pretty tough stretch here.
• 14:35
  [SPEAKER_04]: Saturday, June 6th, New York in New York, then they go to Washington
• 14:42
  [SPEAKER_04]: Not a great team, but a team that's beaten them already.
• 14:44
  [SPEAKER_04]: And then a couple of, in a home game against Chicago.
• 14:47
  [SPEAKER_04]: So hopefully we can start to see them play out of this funk in the next week or so.
• 14:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's going to happen.
• 14:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think it's slowly going to start to be where everybody's on the same page and it'll be fine.
• 15:05
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'm just waiting to see that click happen.
• 15:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: a couple of tough opponents he said.
• 15:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: I kind of feel like the fever play up to their opponents also most of the time.
• 15:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: I feel like they've always done well against teams with good records and strong rosters and they struggle with below 500 teams.
• 15:24
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'd have to look back at the stats to see if that's accurate, but I feel like I remember noticing that last year.
• 15:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: So we'll see what
• 15:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: The nice thing is two games at home, but the two games on the road or whatever road games at home games are all back on the east coast and traveling won't be quite as bad.
• 15:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: And you're not going to, I guess with the sky, it's a, they're an hour behind this.
• 15:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: But at time zone is pretty much the same.
• 15:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: So that's a lot easier.
• 15:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I'm going to practice to their practice on Monday.
• 15:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: You'll need to tell them anything.
• 16:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, I'll tell them.
• 16:02
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'll be like, hey guys, just say no Michelle and Greg, so you need to win this next game.
• 16:07
  [SPEAKER_04]: That's next game.
• 16:08
  [SPEAKER_04]: All of them, John.
• 16:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, they're the best team.
• 16:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're the best team.
• 16:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: They should well, ground breaking stuff.
• 16:14
  [SPEAKER_02]: I'll be like, hey, guys, you need to start winning.
• 16:19
  [SPEAKER_03]: Play better and win.
• 16:19
  [SPEAKER_03]: That's all.
• 16:24
  [SPEAKER_04]: All right.
• 16:24
  [SPEAKER_04]: Hey, let's do it again.
• 16:25
  [SPEAKER_04]: All Thursday night, a special fever report will we react to a
• 16:30
  [SPEAKER_04]: Hopefully, fever will over the dream on the first fever dream of the season.
• 16:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: John, you're missing Thursday night's game, aren't you?
• 16:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, I gave my tickets to a friend.
• 16:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: He's there on date night.
• 16:43
  [SPEAKER_02]: They want a day night and I said, here, take these tickets.
• 16:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: Go have fun.
• 16:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, that's your very nice.
• 16:48
  [SPEAKER_02]: Well, thank you.
• 16:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: Good friends.
• 16:53
  [SPEAKER_04]: So yeah, we can go earlier than usual.
• 16:57
  [SPEAKER_04]: Fantastic.
• 16:59
  [SPEAKER_04]: I really hope the spurs don't win the championship guys, but it's better than the nicks and It's better than the nicks and I I don't know Here's the thing there the three teams love none of them are teams I can root for Normals first, but okay, see you lose.
• 17:16
  [SPEAKER_04]: They're about to normally I cheer for the spurs, but they're they're gonna be so good if they win this championship now The Pacers may not have a chance in the future
• 17:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's all I hear.
• 17:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: What my problem is, is you get two teams play for the Western Conference Championship, that the NBA never had any problems when they takes, did build their roster, to get those top picks.
• 17:35
  [SPEAKER_04]: That's right.
• 17:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: And then you've got the mix, and the mix, I can't cheer for the next period, sorry.
• 17:40
  [SPEAKER_04]: Nope.
• 17:42
  [SPEAKER_04]: No, I can't.
• 17:42
  [SPEAKER_04]: I see what's happening.
• 17:43
  [SPEAKER_04]: I see what's happening.
• 17:45
  [SPEAKER_04]: Especially when the pace before the Finals, if the Nick win the championship, it needs anaster.
• 17:49
  [SPEAKER_04]: They didn't have to go through the pace.
• 17:55
  [SPEAKER_04]: Thanks so much to John and Michelle.
• 17:57
  [SPEAKER_04]: We'll be back again on Thursday to react to the game against the Atlanta Dream and we'll be here to do that following most fever games this year and we will have our weekly fever reports.
• 18:12
  [SPEAKER_04]: Thanks so much for listening.
• 18:13
  [SPEAKER_04]: Please do us a huge favor to share this podcast with a favorite fan in your life.
• 18:17
  [SPEAKER_04]: Help us spread the word that's Central Indiana Sports Report.
• 18:21
  [SPEAKER_04]: It's talking about what's Central Indiana Sports fans are talking about.
• 18:23
  [SPEAKER_04]: And pretty, single band.
• 19:35
  [SPEAKER_04]: Central Indian Sports Report is a product of ITD media.
• 19:38
  [SPEAKER_04]: Now, let me see you, Zik.
• 19:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hindi, Anna?
• 19:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hindi, Anna?
• 19:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Still recording.
• 19:55
  [SPEAKER_04]: Does it protect me to say?
• 19:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, I love you too.
• 19:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay.