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<\/a><\/p>\n\u201cBecoming Caitlin Clark\u201d is out now!<\/p>\n
Howard Megdal\u2019s newest book is here! \u201cBecoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar\u201d captures both the historic nature of Clark\u2019s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.<\/p>\n
The Sun controlled the tempo from the start of the game and continued to well into the third quarter against Indiana; with 9:40 left in the third, they were even leading by 21 points, which is a testament to just how far they\u2019ve come. Shots were falling for veteran leaders Marina Mabrey<\/a> and Tina Charles<\/a>, both of whom had 14 points in the third (Mabrey finished with 27 points, while Charles had 21), while rookie standout Leila Lacan<\/a>, who had 7 points and 14 assists, was dishing out dimes with ease, forward Aneesah Morrow<\/a> was holding her own defensively in the paint and finished with a double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds, and guard Saniya Rivers<\/a>, who had 15 points, was hitting step back jumpers and continued to \u201clevitate\u201d in the air to block opponents, a word she used to describe her blocked shots against Sky\u2019s Kamilla Cardoso<\/a>. <\/p>\n Center Olivia Nelson Ododa \u2014 who celebrated her birthday Sunday with a crown, her locker decorated with streamers and told The Next she planned to go out to dinner after the game \u2014 was also a key part of the Sun\u2019s defensive efforts.<\/p>\n Going into the fourth quarter, it appeared that the Sun had set themselves up for their first back-to-back wins this season, that is, until Fever star Kelsey Mitchell<\/a> put on a masterclass 38-point performance and hit key shots beyond the arc that allowed Indiana to bounce back and win in overtime.<\/p>\n After the game, Mabrey was asked what her message to the team would be going forward for the rest of the season, and it was the positives \u2014 and the 93 points they scored against Indy\u2014 that she focused on, even despite the narrow loss that officially knocked the Sun out of playoff contention.<\/p>\n \u201cJust taking the positives from this game, like we scored 93 points,\u201d Mabrey told the media. \u201cI thought we were pretty efficient offensively. And then just understanding what works for us from one half to the other and understanding that when you\u2019re up by 20 to a team that is a good team in this league and has some experience and veteran experience, they\u2019re not going to come out and guard you the same way as they did the second half. So just being able to slow down, calm down, and see what they\u2019re giving us, I think will be something that we can adjust for the next games coming up in Washington, especially [since] they\u2019re one of the best defensive teams, so they\u2019ll have schemes ready for us.\u201d<\/p>\n How the Sun are finding their identity. <\/p>\n It takes time to for a team to develop their sense of identity. For the Sun, who have a completely new head coach in Meziane and a roster with just two returners in Charles and Nelson-Ododa and newly signed Aaliyah Edwards<\/a> and Migna Toure, they\u2019ve had to figure out not only how to play together, but what that actually looks like on the court. To do so requires an ability to adjust to different personalities, playing styles and roles on the team, which is something Rivers says the Sun are still \u201cfiguring out.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s hard with a whole bunch of pieces that have never played together for real, a whole new coaching staff, the rookies never been this league before, a new state. So I think everybody\u2019s finding their identity and their role every day,\u201d she told The Next before the Sun faced the Fever. \u201cI think once we put the pieces together, we can play really good basketball and win a lot more games.\u201d<\/p>\n Rivers herself has emerged into a rookie sensation on the Sun and is currently leading all rookies in blocks per game; that night, her five blocks would make her the fastest guard in WNBA history to reach 30 career blocks according to Polymarket Hoops.<\/a> Lacan also inked her name in the history books with her 14 assists, which has tied a league record for the most assists in a game without a turnover.<\/a><\/p>\n Tune in to Locked On Women\u2019s Basketball<\/p>\n![\"Locked](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755551467_292_locked-on-wbb-ad.png\")
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