Fever hold team meeting to address sideline spat and ongoing issues

Caitlin Clark had to battle through a sickness during the Indiana Fever win over the Atlanta Dream.

Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever teammates spent the first part of this week discussing a heated sideline exchange, a lengthy team meeting, even their early-season defensive woes. From the pregame team huddle to Clark's chest bump of coach Stephanie White during a third-quarter stoppage, the Fever moved beyond the weeklong drama and looked unified, committed and determined as they began their Cup title defense with an 83-71 victory over the Atlanta Dream.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will host Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night, hoping to put behind them the nightmare of a two-game West Coast road trip that saw Clark and Fever coach Stephanie White engage in a sideline spat that went viral on social media. Days before the highly anticipated matchup with the Eastern Conference-leading Dream, the Fever have addressed the situation, holding a lengthy meeting to move past it as they seek to climb the standings.

Two-time WNBA All-Star Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White told reporters Monday they had moved beyond what appeared to be a sideline spat. On Tuesday, Fever guard Sophie Cunningham revealed the team's players and coaches also had a frank, “long” conversation intended to hash things out and get everyone back on the same page following back-to-back losses on the West Coast. “We had a team meeting (Monday) — a long meeting — and so hopefully we've kind of turned the page,” Cunningham said.