Today on The IX Sports Podcast Women’s Basketball Edition hosts Jackie Powell and Howard Megdal break down whether the Indiana Fever are in a crisis and parity in the WNBA.
To listeners wondering about the first topic — when asked if the Indiana Fever are in a crisis, Megdal gave several emphatic “nos.”
“There is a reality distortion field around the Indiana Fever,” Megdal said, adding that there are several reasons for that — including members of the media who may be incentivized by social media algorithms and clicks.
Megdal also pointed out that the team is playing differently this season than they did at the end of last season. The team has things to work on, he said — and Fever personnel would tell you that too. Powell pointed out that the current Fever team also looks different from the crew that led the team’s playoff run last season.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Clark is also under a ton of media scrutiny, Megdal said, even as her “assist percentage is north of what Sue Bird was doing at this point in her career, her effective field goal percentage is exactly the same as Sue, and ahead of Diana Taurasi. Again, what are we talking about here?”
Be sure to tune in to the podcast to hear more from Powell and Megdal about how the current media landscape is shaping perceptions of Clark and the Fever.
WNBA Parity
Powell took time to break down a column she wrote for NBC Sports this week about how close the top teams are in the WNBA.
The gap between the No. 1 Seed and the No. 8 Seed after one month of play is just 3.5 games this season, down from 4.5 last season and 7 in 2024.
Powell told Megdal that she didn’t want to pick one single factor that she sees as making this possible, but said the increase in the number of rookies who come from overseas already having professional experience is a big part of the equation.
Court vision
Megdal said that he views Thursday’s game between the New York Liberty and the Atlanta Dream as a potential WNBA Finals preview. Powell said she would be closely watching the matchup between Jonquel Jones and Angel Reese.
The picture is not so great for the Chicago Sky in the game against the Fever tonight, Megdal said, questioning whether they have enough healthy personnel on the roster to succeed this season.
Make sure to subscribe to The IX Sports Podcast for in-depth coverage of women’s soccer, hockey and basketball; and tune in each weekday morning for a quick overview of the biggest headlines on Women’s Sports Daily, like WNBA news and PWHL expansion updates.
The USWNT vs Brazil friendly ends in drama after 1-0 win for Team USA
