Latest / The Central Indiana Sports Report / Fever 78, Storm 74: Recap & Reaction with John & Michelle (Aug. 3, 2025; Podcast 344.2)

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Fever 78, Storm 74: Recap & Reaction with John & Michelle (Aug. 3, 2025; Podcast 344.2) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_03]: Sorry if I sound a little funny today, but I left my best microphones at headquarters as I begin a new school year on Monday at Madison Grant.
• 0:14
  [SPEAKER_03]: Going from headquarters in Jeffersonville to stage twenty two and L Wood for Got My Favorite Microphones.
• 0:20
  [SPEAKER_03]: Not that big of a deal, but anyway what you're listening to is the Central Indiana Sports Report podcast number three hundred and forty four point two
• 0:30
  [SPEAKER_03]: John Robertson and Michelle Garman's reaction to the fever seventy-eight seventy-four win over the storm their fifth straight victory.
• 0:40
  [SPEAKER_03]: We will recap every single game the rest of the year and we'll have a fever report every week the rest of the season through the WMBA finals.
• 1:02
  [SPEAKER_03]: you're listening to the central Indiana sports report with your host Greg Mendel's welcome beaver fan to the central Indiana sports report and our reaction to the fever seventy eight seventy four win over the Seattle storm
• 1:20
  [SPEAKER_03]: their fifth win in a row.
• 1:22
  [SPEAKER_03]: I'm your host Greg Mendel coming to you today from a rest stop on my way back to Elwood.
• 1:29
  [SPEAKER_03]: I'm going by John Robertson, our favorite guy and Michelle Damon of the Tiffin Tribune and Elwood Colleter and joining us from the road right now.
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_03]: some good defense, some good ball sharing, not the prettiest win in the world, but you gotta be thrilled with five wins in a row, John.
• 1:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I'm absolutely happy with five wins in a row.
• 1:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: To be able to put together this win streak without Caitlin, you've got to be super happy about it.
• 2:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: You've got to be really incredibly happy with the way they're playing up until about the middle of the fourth quarter.
• 2:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: They looked like they were completely in control.
• 2:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: They let Seattle go on a little bit of a run, but it was good to see them put a stop to the run and close out the win.
• 2:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: So lots of positives to take away from the game.
• 2:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Absolutely, even though the score is closer than you would like to see based on how it was going, a wins a win, especially over Seattle that gets us the tie break versus them since we just jumped them in the standings.
• 2:32
  [SPEAKER_03]: Not a bad team, Michelle.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_02]: See, we're on the road.
• 2:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think they're doing exactly what you wanted to do.
• 2:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're just going out, taking a workmen's approach, bringing their lunch pills and they're just, they're being, you know,
• 2:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: efficient and the great thing is are also finding ways to overcome adversity.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, Kelsey Mitchell, this was not a good shooting game, Kelsey, and especially she struggled early, but that the fact that the fever is still lead, they control with that.
• 3:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: That sounds a lot about where this team is right now.
• 3:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just agree that like what we've seen throughout this road uh trip that's five game winning streak is like you never know who's going to be the one to step up and take control and be the leader of the team but like someone's going to step up and make sure they're filling a role and getting us the points we need and or the defensive stop we need so that's absolutely fantastic.
• 3:26
  [SPEAKER_03]: Guys what I like about the day was the balance
• 3:30
  [SPEAKER_03]: what seven players with at least six points, six players with at least nine points even more than that.
• 3:36
  [SPEAKER_03]: Twenty five assists on thirty one baskets.
• 3:39
  [SPEAKER_03]: That's getting the job and that's without Caitlin Clark.
• 3:43
  [SPEAKER_03]: That is getting the job done and that is a good sign for the postseason.
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: The ball movement's been really, really good.
• 3:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I was really impressed with Ari today as far as assists.
• 3:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, if I'll be honest with you, when she and Kelsey are both on the court, I sometimes have our time telling which ones which, because their movement is very similar.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're both incredibly fast.
• 4:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Ari gets the knot as far as passing goes, but like they're both just so, so quick with the ball.
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: They're quick with the ball, quick without the ball, both lefties, right, correct?
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: So it's like,
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_02]: In a shot you know that three points shot sometimes I have to I do have to listen to find out who who made it if I don't see the number
• 4:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm kind of the same thing because like they built them like my wife and I were discussing them.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: They have about a similar size and shape and they and they move incredibly similarly that if you don't do the number you're not necessarily going to know which one it is.
• 4:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's give a shout out to Aeri real quick.
• 4:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Not only is she on this like five game road trip.
• 4:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's got she's finishing up her master's degree right now.
• 4:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: So she's got a twelve page paper new this week.
• 4:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm really impressed.
• 4:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, that's actually had to hugely impressive.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's playing really well on the court.
• 4:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, she definitely, fourth quarter was not strong for her as well, but like for first three quarters were really, really good.
• 5:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: But then, you know, and she's working on putting together her master's degree paper.
• 5:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: So I, that takes some guts.
• 5:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's enough.
• 5:11
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's a fun.
• 5:12
  [SPEAKER_02]: The toss has had after struggling a couple bit a little bit.
• 5:16
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, she had a great rebounding game the other night and everything.
• 5:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: And then
• 5:19
  [SPEAKER_02]: She was really good today for the most part.
• 5:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, twenty one points today Yeah, I was happy to see her have a good game and that goes back to what I was saying like you just never know who's gonna be the one they put up the like the big numbers for the day, but you can always count on pretty much someone a Lea Boston had a double double a twelve rebound double double So that's a good game for her
• 5:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: I just, I'm really impressed with this team.
• 5:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're putting together some really great performances, and I hope that once Caitlyn comes back, that they can just like, you know, add to what they built, not just like, has struggled to fit her in.
• 5:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: I really hope that's the case.
• 5:59
  [SPEAKER_02]: I do too, but I, you gotta love, I mean, but you do have to really love the way they are playing right now.
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: And again, back to back road wins.
• 6:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: That's pretty nice.
• 6:10
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, it's overkill.
• 6:11
  [SPEAKER_03]: It's a head of them in the standing.
• 6:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yes, that's the important part.
• 6:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just now looking at the box score and I didn't realize that Timson didn't play it all today.
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm assuming that's probably a matchup thing because Seattle's got some really big, you know, center and forwards.
• 6:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: So maybe they thought that it was going to be difficult for her to fit in on that rotation, but it's kind of surprising she didn't play it all.
• 6:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Dante did okay.
• 6:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I've done this.
• 6:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, she's minus six on the plus minus six points, but still like when she was out there, she was effective, I thought so.
• 6:45
  [SPEAKER_02]: Because she's looking for her shot and she's been able to knock down some threes and even some jumpers and you know, that's always a good thing because that means when she's on the floor, the other teams, one of their post players, they have to respect that and they have to come out, which, you know, that's just nice things then for, for Ari and for Mitchell and
• 7:08
  [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah, Sophie, it just creates so much cutting lanes, driving lanes.
• 7:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, it's, and Seattle's a good team, honestly, like Nekka, Gumikay is strong, and I thought Dominique Molonga had a really good game.
• 7:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: She had their rookie, she had a pretty solid game.
• 7:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're going to be difficult as they start to figure it out together, but I'm really happy with the win today.
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's pretty much just the bottom line.
• 7:35
  [SPEAKER_02]: Good win.
• 7:36
  [SPEAKER_02]: It wasn't, isn't it?
• 7:38
  [SPEAKER_02]: I guess I guess we'll lead in to here in a minute about who the see or have next, but they still have at least what two three more road games.
• 7:48
  [SPEAKER_03]: Well, give that hit just a second Michelle.
• 7:50
  [SPEAKER_03]: Real fast I want to go over the standings because it's becoming quite vital with eleven games to go.
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_03]: They are now
• 7:58
  [SPEAKER_03]: in the fifth spot, a half game behind Phoenix, one game behind Atlanta, and I think they're better than both of those teams clearly.
• 8:07
  [SPEAKER_03]: And now just one and a half games behind New York, and if you can get home court against New York in the playoffs, that would be huge.
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Realistically, like anybody's going to shot here with in the face of Collier being hurt and we don't know how long she's going to be out.
• 8:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: That really is going to, they got a nice leap.
• 8:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: They do, but I'm just saying that's going to affect Minnesota going into the playoffs as she can't make it back in time.
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: They picked up.
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_02]: I was going to ask you, if you think that's what the reason they went up, Carrington.
• 8:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Carrington's not really an offensive player, though.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's mostly defensive.
• 8:42
  [SPEAKER_02]: Right, the C, they can see their best defensive player and that's why I
• 8:46
  [SPEAKER_02]: And even if she comes back, she's probably not going to be able to guard.
• 8:50
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, she's not going to be able to be the same defensive like because she rolled that ankle pretty good.
• 8:55
  [SPEAKER_02]: I would be surprised if she is a hundred percent the rest of the season.
• 9:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, I think that Carrington wanted out a Dallas from basically, from what I can tell from the tea leaves on socials.
• 9:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: It seemed like she wanted out of there.
• 9:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: Minnesota probably got a pretty good deal on it.
• 9:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: They could always use the defense.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: Minnesota's pretty strong offensively anyway, so I don't know.
• 9:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: I thought it was like, I don't want to say it was like a big move, but anytime you're adding any talent to a team like Minnesota, it's notable.
• 9:30
  [SPEAKER_03]: John and Michelle, we talked about this going into the stretch about a ten game stretch coming up that they need you to take advantage of so far five and John, you said originally six and four would be okay seven and three would be great.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_03]: You have to be changing your mind on that.
• 9:47
  [SPEAKER_03]: They've got the fever.
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_03]: They've got the sparks on Tuesday night at ten o'clock on CBS Sports Network.
• 9:54
  [SPEAKER_03]: Then they go to Phoenix.
• 9:55
  [SPEAKER_03]: That's a tough one on Thursday on Prime Video.
• 9:59
  [SPEAKER_03]: Then they return home to face the sky, the wings, and the mystic three games they should win.
• 10:05
  [SPEAKER_03]: Your expectations have to have changed, John.
• 10:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: I wouldn't be happy with six and four at this point.
• 10:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: They want like the Seattle game I thought was one of the ones that was a coin flip.
• 10:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: We still got a beat.
• 10:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, and Phoenix is a coin flip, but like we've already got five wins.
• 10:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, you know, we should be able to pick up one against the sparks.
• 10:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like we haven't beat them yet this year, so like
• 10:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: You hope they get one, because I really do think we're the better team, but maybe there's just something in the matchup.
• 10:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Phoenix will be tough.
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Chicago, we should win Dallas, we should win Mystics, we should win Connecticut, we should win.
• 10:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: So realistically, at this point, I'm looking at what, why did you say tin game stretch?
• 10:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'd like to see eight and two.
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nine and one.
• 10:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nine and one.
• 10:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nine and one.
• 10:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I guess you'll be your expectation.
• 10:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'll take eight and two, because sometimes we play down to our opponents too much.
• 10:53
  [SPEAKER_03]: The way they go, I'll get the idea.
• 10:54
  [SPEAKER_03]: Nine and one, Michelle.
• 10:58
  [SPEAKER_02]: You know, night and one, you know, realistically would be great.
• 11:01
  [SPEAKER_02]: But I'm kind of like, John, I'll take it into, because here's the thing, you know, should they win?
• 11:06
  [SPEAKER_02]: I mean, they could go, well, tense.
• 11:09
  [SPEAKER_02]: But, you know, sometimes you just run into a night where you just can't hit everything, anything.
• 11:13
  [SPEAKER_02]: And the other team just can hit everything, whether you've got to hand in their face or not.
• 11:18
  [SPEAKER_02]: And if you run into something like that, then, you know, you can take a setback and, you know, that could happen, although, you know, you hope it doesn't.
• 11:27
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think a game on the road at Phoenix that would be one of the weren't shooting really well and they were they were shooting very well.
• 11:32
  [SPEAKER_02]: We could be in a little bit of trouble.
• 11:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's the one.
• 11:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think I think Phoenix and they are going to be the two I think we could lose and I mean like honestly we should beat the sparks like absolutely should beat the sparks.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: So, no, no.
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: But we haven't beat him yet.
• 11:52
  [SPEAKER_02]: But you know, imagine that they're links.
• 11:54
  [SPEAKER_02]: I think they're links
• 11:56
  [SPEAKER_02]: father's a son, but I will say this, that's why I kind of like about the way they're playing right now, and the addition of Bibi, that's another six one, six two player that outside, she can shoot with Dante's knocking down three now, LA will come running out, but then that should open up the quickness of, you know, I mean, Kelsey maybe needs to look to drive more and area against the sparks, against that link, because you can beat that link off the durable, instead of
• 12:26
  [SPEAKER_02]: let that links bother you are trying to shoot over that links sometimes.
• 12:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then there's I think the real big is.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: The biggest concern we've got to worry about.
• 12:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 12:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think I think when we look at the schedule though we got to look at August twenty second twenty fourth with back to back against Minnesota once there once here.
• 12:48
  [SPEAKER_03]: Yes.
• 12:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's going to be.
• 12:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we don't have an easy schedule from here on out like this tin game stretch you know we've talked about we should go It's eight and two at this point, but beyond that it's gonna get tough Yeah Minnesota Minnesota Seattle again LA again Phoenix again Minnesota again like it's why we were saying you gotta take advantage of it this stretch right here because those were all winnable games
• 13:18
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, and the problem is that you're going to be coming out of this gauntlet right before the playoffs.
• 13:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: So we got to make sure our play.
• 13:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like if we get at some point, you get comfortably in a decent seed.
• 13:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: How much do you worry about two versus three, et cetera?
• 13:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know what I mean?
• 13:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Like, let players rest to make sure you're good for the playoffs.
• 13:36
  [SPEAKER_03]: Rest is more important, but they're both important.
• 13:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, absolutely they are because you want home for you.
• 13:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: You want home court advantage.
• 13:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: We need home court.
• 13:46
  [SPEAKER_03]: Thanks so much to John and Michelle for reacting to another fever win.
• 13:51
  [SPEAKER_03]: Always enjoy doing the reaction podcasts like I'm a lot more after wins.
• 13:58
  [SPEAKER_03]: Please do us a favor and share this podcast with the fever fans in your life.
• 14:04
  [SPEAKER_03]: And help spread the word that the Central Indiana Sports Report is here talking about Central Indiana Sports every single day.
• 14:11
  [SPEAKER_03]: Appreciate it.
• 14:30
  [SPEAKER_03]: The Central Indiana Sports Report is a product of ITG media, and I love Susie.