The WNBA playoff schedule is about, and the Indiana Fever’s path is laid out. On Sunday, Cailtin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston and co. will face the Connecticut Solar in Uncasville, Connecticut, in Recreation 1 of the postseason on ABC at 3 p.m. ET.
After a stellar rookie marketing campaign that noticed Clark break a number of data and assist the Fever make the playoffs for the primary time since 2016, the query on a variety of of us’ minds now could be this: How far can Clark and Indiana go within the postseason?
If the second half of the common season is any indication, the second spherical looks as if an actual risk. And as soon as the Fever get there, it’s all about matchups in an anything-can-happen postseason event.
Take into account that the Fever went 9-5 after the Olympic break, a stretch that included a five-game successful streak with triumphs over fellow playoff-bound groups just like the Atlanta Dream and Indiana’s subsequent opponent, the Solar. The Fever seem to be a brand new staff after that point off in late July and early August and have elevated their recreation. Indiana leads the WNBA in area aim proportion (45.6), efficient area aim proportion (52.3) and is second in whole factors scored. Merely put, there isn’t a staff within the league that the Fever can’t sustain with offensively.
It is a unit led by Clark, who has continued to attract in new eyeballs to the WNBA this season along with her completely electrical play. The 2024 common season was the most-viewed ever on ESPN platforms with a mean of 1.2 million viewers per recreation; the All-Star recreation drew a file 3.4 million viewers; and a recreation between the Fever and the Las Vegas Aces on Sept. 11 drew 678,000 viewers, making it the most-viewed WNBA recreation ever on NBATV. A lot of the info for elevated consideration and viewership within the WNBA factors in Clark’s course, which is why Indiana vs. Connecticut is getting the ABC remedy on Sunday, with all different video games aired on ESPN. Excuse the fits at Disney in case you discover them rooting for the Fever.
Clark, after all, has backed up the hype along with her play.
She’ll doubtless win the WNBA’s Rookie of the 12 months award and will discover herself voted to the All-WNBA First Staff, each of which might be deserved honors. Clark averaged a league-leading 8.4 assists per recreation this season together with 19.2 factors and 5.7 rebounds. She additionally led the WNBA in 3-pointers made with 122, or 3.1 per recreation. For some perspective, think about that the nice Sheryl Swoopes averaged north of 19.2 factors per recreation simply as soon as in her 12 seasons within the WNBA and by no means posted greater than 4.3 assists per recreation.
That assists determine places Clark in elite and unique firm. Solely Ticha Penicheiro and Courtney Vandersloot have ever averaged eight dimes or extra in a single season. And no participant within the historical past of the WNBA, which started in 1997, has ever posted per recreation averages of no less than 19 factors and eight assists in the identical 12 months.
However what makes the Fever a menace to make a probably deep playoff run is extra than simply Clark. Within the second half of the season, her teammates have stepped up in a giant manner. Bear in mind, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston have been each all-stars alongside Clark. Mitchell is averaging 19.6 factors per recreation this season and simply dropped 30 factors in a win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday. Boston is averaging 14.1 factors and 9.1 boards per recreation and has proven that—along with being a defensive anchor for the Fever—she will be able to rating in bunches too, like when she scored 30 factors in a Sept. 8 win over the Dream.
A recreation that might be an indication of issues to return for the Fever is their Aug. 28 win over the Solar, which noticed 5 Indiana gamers rating in double figures for a well-balanced scoring assault that led to an 84-80 triumph. Lexie Hull was essential in that recreation for Indiana, flattening 4 3-pointers.
Ought to the Fever get previous the Solar within the first spherical, they may bump their heads in opposition to their ceiling. For the reason that Olympic break, Indiana is 0-2 in opposition to the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx with a pair of double-digit losses, and the Fever are 0-4 on the 12 months in opposition to the two-time reigning champs, the Aces. Earlier than the break, Indiana went 1-3 in opposition to the top-seeded New York Liberty.
But when the WNBA postseason is something like March Insanity, we all know there aren’t any limits on the vacation spot with Clark within the driver’s seat.
