Kaitlyn Clark, Indiana Fever, Advance to WNBA Playoffs

An already historic 2024 for guard Caitlin Clark got even better Wednesday, as the Indiana Fever qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2016. That ended a seven-season playoff drought that was tied for the longest in WNBA history.

Clark, the league’s No. 1 pick and the WNBA’s top rookie, made it to the postseason despite not playing Tuesday, thanks to Las Vegas’ 90-71 win over Chicago and Phoenix’s 74-66 win over Atlanta.

Indiana, which moved to 17-16 on Sunday and has its first winning record since June 2019, is sixth in the WNBA, which sends eight teams to the playoffs.

Seven of the spots are now secured, with Phoenix (17-17) also clinching a spot Tuesday after missing the postseason last year for the first time since 2012. Chicago and Atlanta, both 11-22, are battling for the final spot with Washington, which beat Dallas 90-86 on Tuesday and is 10-23.

New York, Connecticut, Minnesota, Las Vegas and Seattle have already clinched their spots in the postseason.

Earlier this year, Clark became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball history and earned her second straight national championship to end her career at Iowa. She then joined freshman Aliyah Boston, who was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in Indiana for 2023.

Since the Fever’s first media day in May, Clark has spoken about the team’s primary goal this season: qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since franchise legend Tamika Catchings ended her career in 2016.

Before the drought, the Fever had reached the playoffs for 12 straight years, including winning the 2012 WNBA championship. But in five of the past seven seasons, the Fever has posted single-digit win totals. Attendance had dropped sharply by 2022, when Indiana went 5-31.

Under coach Christy Sides in his first year and with South Carolina star Boston joining last year, the Fever improved to 13 wins and 27 losses. The Fever then won the draft lottery again and got Clark.

Boston, Clark and two No. 2 picks, Kelsey Mitchell (2018, from Ohio State) and Nalyssa Smith (2022, from Baylor), have been the backbone of Indiana this season. The Fever got off to a rocky start with a 1-8 record but have since found their footing. They went 11-15 at the Olympic break and are 6-1 since the WNBA resumed.

Mitchell leads Indiana in scoring (19.0), followed by Clark (18.7), Boston (13.4) and Smith (11.1). Clark leads the WNBA in assists (8.4), and Boston (9.0) is among the league’s top 10 teams in rebounding.

Indiana has seven games remaining, six of them at home at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, starting Wednesday against Los Angeles. The Fever has been the most-attended team in the WNBA this season, with huge crowds both home and away.

The Fever is only the second team in WNBA history to reach the playoffs after starting the season 1–8 or worse. The Charlotte Sting, which disbanded after the 2006 season, reached the WNBA Finals in 2001 after starting the season 1–8, losing there to Los Angeles.