‘We don’t have time for that’: Stephanie White dismisses fatigue factor for Fever

Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever bounced back from two straight losses with a win over the Chicago Sky on Sunday. It was the fifth and final game of their road trip that has been grueling to say the least. The team played five matchups in seven days, which tested their conditioning and mentality. Fatigue may have played a big factor in their results, but the head coach dismissed the idea.

Indiana went 3-2 during the stretch, starting with consecutive wins versus the Atlanta Dream and Toronto Tempo. A two-game skid followed at the hands of the Dallas Wings and New York Liberty before Sunday’s 113-90 victory. The win was even more impressive as the team played without Aliyah Boston due to a lower right leg injury.

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White against the Phoenix Mercury at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Indiana Fever: Stephanie White downplays effect of fatigue in recent road trip

White focused on Indiana having a deep roster ahead of the Sky game. She also stressed on the team’s areas for improvement.

“I think that obviously, there’s probably a little bit of fatigue, but we don’t have time for that,” White said. “We talk often about standard over feelings, (so) we don’t have time for that. I think the biggest thing is we’ve got to rely on our depth. We’re going to use our bench more. We’ll probably have shorter stints and everybody’s got to be ready to go.

“I think where you see it the most is offensively when we settle. I don’t think we’ve had nearly as many trips to the free throw line as we’d like to have. Maybe settle a little bit. Our rotations might be a little slower on the defensive end of the floor, but we’ve got have some urgency about us.”

The Fever will have four days off before they face the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Three of their last five games will be played at home, giving them more rest and a stronger chance to string more wins together.