The Indiana Fever are experiencing a tough season, with a troubling 1-7 record hanging over them. Only the winless Washington Mystics are preventing the Fever from holding the league’s worst record. Amid these difficulties, third-year forward NaLyssa Smith has shown signs of frustration with her current position on the team.
Rookie Caitlin Clark was expected to become the driving force of the Fever’s offense upon her arrival. In her first eight games, Clark has certainly made an impact, leading the team in points (17.3), assists (6.3), and minutes (32.1). However, she also tops both the team and the league in turnovers, with an average of 5.5 per game.
NaLyssa Smith’s displeasure with her role surfaced publicly when she liked a social media post critical of head coach Christie Sides. Last season, Smith posted strong averages of 15.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in 28.5 minutes per game. This year, those numbers have dropped to 9.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 22 minutes per game across the first eight games. While these figures are still solid, they don’t capture her recent struggles.
In a rare victory against the Sparks on May 24, Smith was on the court for only 11 minutes. In the following two games, she played just over 18 minutes each. Her performance on Tuesday night saw her scoring only three points on three attempts and posting a team-worst plus-minus of (-24), following earlier games with plus-minus ratings of (-9) and (-6). Given these statistics, it’s difficult to argue for increased playing time, but Smith’s experience and leadership remain invaluable.
The Indiana Fever must resolve these internal conflicts to salvage their season and maximize the potential of their roster. Smith’s situation underscores the broader issues the team faces during this challenging time. The Fever’s next game is scheduled for tomorrow at 6:00 pm ET, where they will face the Seattle Storm at home, a team that narrowly beat them 85-83 last week in Seattle.
