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FeverBasketball.com
July 2, 2011
Indiana Regroups
By Tom Rietmann
The Indiana Fever missed Briann January's enthusiasm and bounce
at Friday's practice.
As the Fever conducted drills in the Conseco Fieldhouse practice
facility, January, her right knee wrapped and iced, sat in the corner
and stretched lightly. The 2011 WNBA season is over for Indiana's
third-year point guard. She suffered a torn ligament in last
Tuesday's victory over Phoenix and will undergo surgery in a few
weeks.
“We love her energy, her effort, her defense,” coach Lin Dunn said
about January. “She was just making such great strides in year
three. But she'll be back. A year from now, she'll be back.”
The Fever, atop the Eastern Conference at 7-3, will look to
Shannon Bobbitt and Erin Phillips to run the offense in January's
absence. Already, January is doling out tips to her successors. And
Dunn will utilize the injured guard as an extra coach in team
meetings and on the bench during games.
“Bri was the first one out there for warmups and the last one to
come in,” Dunn said. “She just loves to play. I think she's going to
go through an adjustment period there. But we're going to keep her
engaged.”
January, averaging 8.6 points and 5.0 assists, knows that not
playing will be a difficult test. Talking to reporters after Friday's
practice, she said hearing of the severity of her injury was “kind of
devastating.”
“Getting that starting role, (seeing) our team on a roll, being a part
of something special, and then being taken away from the game I
love … it kind of hit real hard,” January said.
“It's the biggest injury I've had to face,” she added. “It's a little
scary in that aspect.”
January is receiving help dealing with her first serious injury from
Fever standout Tamika Catchings, who has experienced similar
rough patches. A knee injury sidelined Catchings for all of her
rookie season in 2001. She played in only 21 games in 2007
because of a foot injury.
“It's a journey,” Catchings said, relating what she told January
about the comeback process. “Bri is a strong-minded, strong-willed
person. It's something a lot of people in the league have gone
through. She'll be fine.”
The Fever have won four consecutive games and will play their
next four at home, starting with Tuesday' matchup with 2010
WNBA champion Seattle. Which point guard will start, Bobbitt or
Phillips, is uncertain. Bobbitt has averaged 2.0 points and 1.4
assists in 9 ½ minutes a game. Phillips is at 4.3 points and 1.4
assists in 13 minutes a game.
Both have played previously in the WNBA. Bobbitt also was part
of two national championship-winning teams at the University of
Tennessee. Phillips played for the Australian Olympic team.
“They know our system, they know our plays,” Dunn said.
“They're both going to play. They both can defend at a high level.
It's just a matter of them feeling comfortable and confident.”
Bobbitt, at 5-2, gets the job done with quickness.
“I feel I'm still going to do the same things that I have, bringing
energy, making sure everybody is positive and focused on one
thing. That's winning the (WNBA) championship,” Bobbitt said.
Phillips said daily practices against January elevated her game as a
reserve. As a possible starter, she hopes to provide the same kind
of positive force that January did.
“If I can pick up where she left off, that will be great,” Phillips
said.
Also, Catchings and Katie Douglas will play bigger roles from
their wing positions in getting the team into its offense. Douglas,
an 11th-year WNBA veteran who is enjoying the best season of
her career, can operate as a point guard. Against Phoenix, she
played the final five minutes at the position, and she could finish
future games there.
“We've already talked about it,” said Douglas, who is averaging
17.3 points and hitting 50 percent from the 3-point arc (27-of-54).
“But I don't think it's a good fit for me to do that all game. It
wouldn't play to my strengths.
“I feel comfortable with (playing some point guard). I feel
comfortable with whatever is asked of me. I'm just going to try to
step up my game even more and try to fill this void.”