After the series became a best-of-three, both coaches had something more to say about the buzzword of the postseason.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe physicality is out of control, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d Hammon said. \u201cI mean, you can bump and grab a wide receiver in the NFL for those first five yards, but you can do it in the W for a whole half court. You put two hands on somebody like that, it should be an automatic foul. They have the freedom of movement [as a point of emphasis]. Freedom of movement? There\u2019s no freedom. And I\u2019m not saying that we\u2019re not fouling too. I\u2019m not saying that. I\u2019m saying it\u2019s out of control.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Game 2 between the Aces and the Fever saw the physicality ratched up, and both coaches had something to say about it. (Photo by Ian Maule\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
(Ian Maule via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
It’s been a common refrain from many of the league\u2019s coaches at some point this year, including from the Fever\u2019s Stephanie White after a chippy June game with Connecticut ended in a scuffle<\/a>. A month later, she referenced both physicality and freedom of movement<\/a> as a potential contributor to Caitlin Clark\u2019s soft tissue injuries that limited her to 13 games all season.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n In a mirror image of Hammon\u2019s comments after Game 1, White said her team didn\u2019t throw any punches in the second game of the series to get back into a battle. From her perch, it seems, Indiana never stepped into the fight.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard for us to find flow when there\u2019s a foul call every 10 seconds,\u201d White said. \u201cI mean, it just really is \u2014 when they’re at the free throw line, we can\u2019t get up and down the floor. And that\u2019s the challenge. They were much more aggressive and physical defensively.\u201d<\/p>\n And as for guard Kelsey Mitchell, who saw few good looks while scoring 13 points on a 28.6% clip, after dropping 34 in the first game?<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s like a little pinball,\u201d White said. \u201cI know that the museum\u2019s right down the street, so sometimes I feel like she\u2019s getting pinged around everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Ironically, the Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame<\/a> dedicates a section where \u201cthe entire family can enjoy non-violent pinball arcade games.\u201d<\/p>\n