Fever make postseason for 1st time since 2016 amid hot return from break
The Indiana Fever clinched a playoff spot on Tuesday, as a few teams below them picked up losses in their games.
The Fever defeated the Dallas Wings on Sunday to inch closer to a postseason berth and did not even need to step on the court, as the Phoenix Mercury and Las Vegas Aces did the dirty work for them. The Mercury defeated the Atlanta Dream, also clinching a playoff spot, and the Aces took care of the Chicago Sky.
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Indiana’s win over Dallas was the team’s 17th victory and the first time the team has been over the .500 mark in quite a while. It is the first time the team will appear in the postseason since 2016, when Stephanie White was coaching and Tamika Catchings was leading the charge. The Fever had 17 wins that season as well.
The Fever managing to scrape and claw their way to the playoffs is a feat in and of itself. The team started 1-8 with Caitlin Clark still trying to mesh with the offense that was being led by Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and Erika Wheeler.
Over the course of the season, Clark came into her own and is the leading candidate for WNBA Rookie of the Year. The team appeared to be more cohesive since the team returned from its Olympic break. The team is 6-1 with its lone blemish being a 10-point loss to the Minnesota Lynx – one of the best teams in the WNBA.
On Wednesday, the Fever will look to move up the ladder as they start a six-game homestand against the Los Angeles Sparks. Their season ends with the Washington Mystics on Sept. 19.
There is one playoff spot left to be determined, and it could come down to the wire.
The Sky, Dream, Mystics and Sparks are still technically in contention. The top eight teams make the postseason.
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