Indiana shows growth and toughness in win against Connecticut

“I felt like the game was getting really rough for a while. I called a timeout just to make sure we kept our composure. We couldn't let that upset us. We just had to keep going like we were doing.”

Toughness can't be measured in numbers, but Fagbenle's willingness to do the dirty work was crucial for the Fever. The veteran didn't score a point, but her 18 +/- were the best on the team. Her length influenced the Suns' attacks on the basket, and her willingness to set blocks gave her teammates space on the perimeter. She finished with three rebounds and a blocked shot. Lexie Hull led Indiana with eight rebounds. Aliyah Boston and Smith each had six rebounds.

“If you want to ask what won this game – the defensive rebounds. I couldn't have said that earlier,” Sides said. “We did a heck of a job. We had to make five stops in the last two minutes and 50 seconds to put the game away. They didn't score a point. That's unbelievable.”

“This is a great team. Just the way they focused and played with pride on this part of the field makes the difference for us.”