Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) rushes up the court docket Friday, July 12, 2024, throughout the recreation 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 once they start a best-of-three sequence 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 total draft decide, tied Kelsey Mitchell with a team-best 19.2 factors per recreation, whereas Clark’s 337 assists have been a WNBA file.
The help complete gave Clark a median of 8.4 per recreation to associate with 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
“I feels evening and day from the place I began (the season),” Clark stated. “I am pleased with myself in that regard. I believe I’ve realized lots. … As soon as we form of discovered our groove, I believe 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 might be obtainable for the playoffs and at full-strength, Fever coach Christie Sides stated.
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 stated. “I’ve seen expectations that individuals have for us and that may get us additional as a company.”
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 recreation.
The Solar additionally matched the Seattle Storm with a WNBA-high 16.3 turnovers pressured per recreation, thanks partially to all 4 Connecticut starters averaging at the least 1.2 steals per recreation.
The Solar unfold their offensive manufacturing as effectively, led by Brionna Jones’ 18.2 factors per recreation. Connecticut’s seven main scorers common at the least 10.5 per recreation for the season.
Marina Mabrey, a midseason addition in a commerce from Chicago, is scoring 19.6 factors per recreation in her time with the Solar, whereas primarily bringing a set off the bench. She has averaged 14.9 factors in her 16 video games (three begins) for Connecticut.
“Indiana is enjoying actually assured basketball,” Solar head coach Stephanie White stated, based on the Hartford Courant. “… You have bought to have the ability to give them totally different appears to be like as a result of they’re good gamers. And once they get beat, they’ll decide you aside. We have to be constant for 40 minutes.”
–Subject Stage Media
