Rebecca Lobo highlights "big concern" for Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever ahead of the playoffs

ESPN basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo expressed optimism that Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever could make a strong playoff run. Still, she highlighted one "big concern" that might pose a challenge for the team.

The Fever, having secured their first playoff spot since 2016, could struggle in the WNBA's first-round best-of-three format due to inexperience in postseason play, Lobo noted.

In an episode of NBA Today, she said:

“I think they can win a first-round matchup depending on who they play. Right now, they're slated to play the Connecticut Sun, and this is a team where, the last time these two teams matched up, Indiana did win that game,” she said (3:58 mark).

“But the big concern for Indiana, of course—and you heard Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston joking about it on the podium—is that they don't have any playoff experience. To date, their starting lineup has a combined zero games of playoff experience.” (4:10 mark)

The Fever has only three players with playoff experience: Temi Fagbenle, Damiris Dantas and Erica Wheeler. Fagbenle and Dantas were champions with the Lynx, and Wheeler was part of the Fever’s 2016 playoff team.

“Their entire roster has only nine games of playoff experience. So that's the question: when they get into those moments, how will they handle going against some of those upper teams that have been there a combined 200 times?” Lobo said.

The Fever have struggled against higher-ranked teams, holding losing records against all of them. They are 1-3 against the New York Liberty, 1-2 against the Minnesota Lynx, 1-3 against the Connecticut Sun, 0-2 against the Las Vegas Aces and 1-3 against the Seattle Storm.

Ex-WNBA champion believes inexperience won't hinder Caitlin Clark, Fever

Despite their inexperience, four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird believes the Fever remains a playoff threat due to their playing style.

The Fever ranks third in the league for pace at 97.53, driven by Caitlin Clark’s playmaking, which fuels their fast-paced offense and catches slower teams off guard.

On the “A Touch More” podcast, Bird emphasized that the Fever’s pace could neutralize physicality and experience in the playoffs.

“I think what I've learned in my WNBA experience is that the pace of play trumps physicality. It trumps size. It can trump experience. Because a lot of times when you're experienced, it's really like code word for you’re a veteran, which is code for old,” she said.

“And what I see in Caitlin, what I see in Kelsey Mitchell, they're just like ramming it down people's throats. And it's really hard; it can have your head spinning.”

The Fever have won eight of their last 10 games since the Olympic break and are currently the sixth seed with a 19-17 record, with four games left to play.