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Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever starters played in limited minutes in the team’s 92-91 loss to the Washington Mystics on Thursday. Indiana’s defeat was inconsequential as it had already clinched the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. Clark and Co. set up a postseason date with the Connecticut Sun who bludgeoned the Chicago Sky 87-54 on the same day.
Game 1 of the Fever-Sun first-round matchup will be on Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena. Game 2 will again be in Connecticut on Sep. 25. If the Fever avoids a sweep, Indiana will host a playoff game for the first time since 2016.
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Caitlin Clark’s Fever lost season series to Sun
The playoffs will be an entirely different battle but the regular season numbers might shed light on how the series may unfold. In four meetings with the Connecticut Sun this season, Clark and Co. won just once.
Connecticut rudely welcomed the former Iowa star to the WNBA with a 92-71 beatdown in Indiana’s season opener on the road. A week later, the Fever played better at home but the Sun emerged with an 88-84 win.
Their third meeting was again an overwhelming victory by the Sun. Dijonai Carrington and Alyssa Thomas led Connecticut to an 89-72 win over Indiana. The Fever’s only win came after the 2024 Paris Olympics break during their best stretch of the season. Indiana held on to edge the Sun 84-80 behind Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell on Aug. 28.
The Indiana Fever have not been to the playoffs since 2016, the last season of Tamika Catchings’ legendary career. Behind Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, the Phoenix Mercury sent the Fever home 89-78.
No starter on Indiana’s roster has been to the playoffs, which is a stark contrast to what the Connecticut Sun have on their lineup. The Sun has made the playoffs for the eighth straight time. During that span, they made it to the semifinals three times and the Finals twice. Last year, they lost 3-1 to the New York Liberty in a close semi-final series.
Indiana’s Caitlin Clark-led offense has to solve Connecticut’s elite defense
Caitlin Clark steadily led the Indiana Fever to one of the most efficient offenses in the WNBA. After the regular season, they finished third in offensive rating behind the New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces.
Opposing the Clark-led offense is Connecticut’s elite defense led by Alyssa Thomas and Dijonai Carrington. The Sun topped the WNBA in defensive ratings, making them a tough matchup for any team, let alone an untested Fever team.
Caitlin Clark pushed herself into MVP conversations with a stellar string of performances in the regular season. The Fever are certainly underdogs in the matchup but will welcome the opportunity to pull off an upset.
