Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever Secure Spot in WNBA Playoffs

Caitlin Clark, the standout guard and top draft pick, reached another significant milestone on Wednesday, as the Indiana Fever secured a place in the playoffs for the first time since 2016. This achievement ends a seven-season absence from postseason play, tying for the longest drought in WNBA history.

The Fever clinched their playoff spot despite having an off day on Tuesday. Their qualification was made possible by victories from Las Vegas, who beat Chicago 90-71, and Phoenix, which triumphed over Atlanta 74-66.

With a record of 17-16, Indiana now boasts its first winning season since June 2019 and sits in sixth place in the WNBA standings. A total of eight teams advance to the playoffs, and now seven spots have been secured. Phoenix, with a 17-17 record, also earned its spot, making a comeback after missing out last year for the first time since 2012. Chicago and Atlanta, both struggling at 11-22, are vying for the last playoff position alongside Washington, which defeated Dallas 90-86, but remains at the bottom with a 10-23 record.

Prior to this, postseason spots were already claimed by teams including New York, Connecticut, Minnesota, Las Vegas, and Seattle.

Earlier in the season, Clark made headlines by becoming the all-time leading scorer in Division I basketball history. She also led her Iowa team to her second consecutive national championship game, culminating her illustrious college career. Joining her on the Fever is Aliyah Boston, the top draft pick and last season’s Rookie of the Year.

From the start of the season, Clark expressed the Fever’s main aspiration: to return to the playoffs for the first time since franchise legend Tamika Catchings retired in 2016.

Before this dry spell, the Fever enjoyed a remarkable record of making the playoffs for 12 consecutive years, highlighted by their championship win in 2012. However, the last few seasons have been challenging, with the team recording single-digit wins in five of the past seven years. Attendance had significantly dropped after a particularly tough 2022 season, where the Fever posted a dismal 5-31 record.

Under first-year head coach Christie Sides and bolstered by the addition of South Carolina star Boston, the Fever improved from 13-27 last year. Winning the draft lottery allowed them to select Clark, a move that would prove pivotal.

The core of the team this season is built around Clark, Boston, and two former No. 2 draft picks, Kelsey Mitchell (2018) and NaLyssa Smith (2022). Although the Fever started the season poorly with a 1-8 record, they quickly began to turn things around. By the Olympic break, they had improved to 11-15 and have since been on a roll, winning six of their last seven games.

Mitchell currently leads the Fever in scoring with an average of 18.0 points per game, closely followed by Clark at 18.7. Boston contributes 13.4 points, while Smith adds 11.1. Notably, Clark is leading the WNBA in assists with 8.4 per game, while Boston ranks among the top ten in rebounding with an average of 9.0.

As the Fever approach the conclusion of the regular season, they have seven games left, with six of those matches taking place at home in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, starting with a matchup against Los Angeles. Indiana has drawn large crowds throughout the season, leading the league in attendance both at home and on the road.

Remarkably, the Fever are only the second team in WNBA history to make the playoffs after starting with a record of 1-8 or worse. The Charlotte Sting previously accomplished this feat, reaching the WNBA Finals in 2001 after a poor start, losing to Los Angeles in the championship game.