Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) rushes up the court docket Friday, July 12, 2024, throughout the sport at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Phoenix Mercury, 95-86. Behind rookie sensation Caitlin Clark’s record-setting marketing campaign, the Indiana Fever embark on their first WNBA playoffs look since 2016 after they start a best-of-three collection on Sunday in opposition to the host Connecticut Solar in Uncasville, Conn.
Indiana earned the No. 6 seed, going 9-5 after coming back from the Olympic break. Clark, the No. 1 general draft decide, tied Kelsey Mitchell with a team-best 19.2 factors per sport, whereas Clark’s 337 assists have been a WNBA report.
The help complete gave Clark a mean of 8.4 per sport to associate with 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
“I feels night time and day from the place I began (the season),” Clark mentioned. “I am happy with myself in that regard. I feel I’ve realized rather a lot. … As soon as we form of discovered our groove, I feel my teammates have allowed me to be myself and that is what has form of introduced us some success.”
Indiana had a scare in its regular-season finale Thursday vs. Washington, a 92-91 loss, when two-time All-Star and veteran Mitchell went down within the first quarter after a collision. Mitchell will likely be out there for the playoffs and at full-strength, Fever coach Christie Sides mentioned.
A part of Indiana’s late-season surge included an 84-80 victory over Connecticut on Aug. 28, their lone success in 4 video games between the groups.
5 Fever gamers scored in double figures throughout the victory over the Solar, together with Mitchell with a game-high 23, whereas Clark had 19 and Lexie Hull added 17. The trio shot a mixed 11-of-25 (44.0 p.c) from 3-point vary.
Constant 3-point capturing has been a key for Indiana all through its run to the playoffs. The Fever completed the common season hitting 35.6 p.c from past the arc, third greatest within the league.
“I nonetheless really feel there’s a lot for us that we are able to obtain,” Clark mentioned. “I’ve seen expectations that individuals have for us and that may get us additional as a corporation.”
Connecticut, the No. 3 seed within the playoffs, held opponents to 31.3 p.c on 3-point makes an attempt, second lowest within the WNBA, and boasted the league’s stingiest defensive yield at 73.6 factors allowed per sport.
The Solar additionally matched the Seattle Storm with a WNBA-high 16.3 turnovers compelled per sport, thanks partly to all 4 Connecticut starters averaging at the very least 1.2 steals per sport.
The Solar unfold their offensive manufacturing as properly, led by Brionna Jones’ 18.2 factors per sport. Connecticut’s seven main scorers common at the very least 10.5 per sport for the season.
Marina Mabrey, a midseason addition in a commerce from Chicago, is scoring 19.6 factors per sport in her time with the Solar, whereas primarily bringing a prompt the bench. She has averaged 14.9 factors in her 16 video games (three begins) for Connecticut.
“Indiana is taking part in actually assured basketball,” Solar head coach Stephanie White mentioned, in accordance with the Hartford Courant. “… You’ve got obtained to have the ability to give them completely different seems as a result of they’re sensible gamers. And after they get beat, they’ll decide you aside. We have got to be constant for 40 minutes.”
–Subject Degree Media