'Our players deserve a chance to play at home': Indiana Fever disappointed to not have a home playoff game
'Our players deserve a chance to play at home': Indiana Fever disappointed to not have a home playoff game
The WNBA playoff structure is best of three in the first round. The Fever lost both games in Connecticut, ending their season, so sellout crowds in Indy will have to wait until next May.
The arena was quiet and the house lights were dim.
The basketball court was removed from the lower level.
The concrete floor was visible and there were curtains stretching from sideline to sideline.
But no court and no hoops.
At 10 a.m. on Friday, Indiana Fever general manager Lin Dunn and head coach Christie Sides sat behind a table on the dais inside the Bob Collins-Wayne Fuson media interview room at Gainbridge Fieldhouse prepared to answer questions from media. It was time to begin exit interviews.
But it’s not where Sides wanted to be.
At 10 a.m. on game days, she’s preparing for shootaround — what she’s going to say to the team and the personnel they need to go over before thousands fill the arena.
“First of all, I wish I was sitting here pregame getting ready for Game 3 tonight,” Sides began.
She then read a prepared statement, emphasizing that “there is absolutely no place for hate or racism of any kind in our sport.”
Then they discussed basketball, the highs and lows of the season, returning to the playoffs — and one big disappointment.
Because the first round is only a best-of-three series, they had to win one of the first two games on the road in order to play a home game. Which then, by the way, would’ve been an elimination game for the higher seed on the road.
That will have to change soon, especially with charter flights, record TV ratings, and more money pouring into the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark and the Fever not playing in a third playoff game means ownership misses out on millions, local bars and restaurants miss out on a big night, and most importantly — the fans. All but four home games were sellouts (17,274) and the Fever shattered all attendance numbers, both home and away.
“We're all disappointed,” Dunn acknowledged.
“The players, the staff, the marketing people, the digital people, the ticket people, the merchandise people. We're all very saddened that we're not able to be here today preparing for that game because I talked to the GM in Connecticut and I said, ‘Darius (Taylor), let's go back to Indy. Let's have one game in Indy.’
“He said, ‘there is no way I'm gonna do anything to allow my team to get out of this arena,’ and I said, ‘well, I don't blame you. I said, we will have 19,000 people ready for you.’ And he said, ‘I don't wanna go back to you.’