The 2024 WNBA regular season is coming down to the home stretch.
As of this writing, there are three teams that have currently clinched playoff berths – the Minnesota Lynx, Connecticut Sun and New York Liberty.
If the current standings were to hold through the close of the season, the road to the 2024 WNBA championship would run through Atlantic & Flatbush with the Liberty currently occupying the W’s best record.
The Sun recently earned a statement win on the road at New York and Minnesota defeated the Liberty for the Commissioner’s Cup. Lib Loyals will make a deal about how that game was closer to a neutral site contest than a pure Liberty home game, but that is neither here nor there.
In the run-up to every playoffs, there are the teams that are the favorites – then there is a team that is a bit off the radar but is looking scary enough to where it may give the big fish a scare.
That team this year could be…the Indiana Fever.
We know what the Caitlin Clark effect has done for Indiana – record ratings, record revenue, record engagement on social media and more national television coverage. The question heading into the season was if the Clark effect would translate into victories for the Fever.
Recent indications seem to be that it finally has – and the Olympic break did indeed do wonders in building chemistry for this team.
We must remember that prior to the break the Fever earned signature victories over the Liberty, Lynx and Phoenix Mercury. Since the break concluded, Indiana defeated the Mercury again and, approximately a week ago, the Fever notched a double-digit win over the Seattle Storm.
Even in the Fever’s most recent contest with Minnesota (one that saw Maya Moore’s No. 23 raised to the rafters of Target Center), Indiana only lost by 10 points. The team we saw early in the season when Indiana was struggling would have probably lost to the Lynx by 20 or 30 points.
And as Gainbridge Fieldhouse continues to sell out games Indiana could establish a home court advantage on par with teams such as the Liberty, Aces and Atlanta Dream currently enjoy.
Speaking of Gainbridge Fieldhouse – the Fever are 8-5 when defending its home court. And with every victory the Fever gain, Clark continues to solidify her case for Rookie of the Year with Angel Reese and Rickea Jackson being her biggest competition.
It may be easy to look at the Fever’s rise and think that Clark is the sole reason why Indiana is finding itself in the win column more often nowadays. That would be foolhardy and simple analysis.
Just as Clark did not do it all by herself when she wore Hawkeyes black and gold, the same is true for her (or any great player) in the WNBA or any sport.
While Clark may be leading the Fever in scoring at 17.9 points per contest (and assists at 8.3 per game), right behind her is veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell. She has averaged 17.8 points per contest.
Teams that win (or are looking to win long-term) not only need a formidable backcourt. They need a formidable front court as well and Aliyah Boston certainly does that for Indiana. Last season’s Rookie of the Year is averaging 13.9 points per game and 9.2 rebounds plus 1.4 blocks – she is just shy of a double-double for the season.
As of this writing, the Fever would be the seventh seed in the playoffs. This means the first round would see Indiana take on Connecticut. One probably would not expect Indiana, even with the improved confidence they have right now, to win a short three-game tilt against the Sun but the Fever team of the first five games of the season probably would have been swept by Connecticut.
This Fever team at least is playing with enough confidence to potentially push the series out to a third game – and give Connecticut all it can handle.
The Fever’s next game is at home – against the Sun. Indiana and Connecticut have played each other twice this season – both were Connecticut victories at Mohegan Sun Arena. Given that this could be a first-round playoff preview (not to mention nationally televised on NBA TV) this is a huge matchup for the Fever.
This could tell us a lot as to if Indiana should expect a quick first-round playoff exit or if, perhaps, the Fever can indeed give the Sun a series. While the Fever have played improved ball, Connecticut is also experiencing a lift after claiming that huge win on the road at the Liberty – the Sun’s first over the seafoam, black and copper this season.
We will see Wednesday if there is a chance of the Clark/Boston/Mitchell effect translating into postseason play – or of Christie Sides’ team may expect an unceremonious early playoff exit.
