Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are set to face the Connecticut Sun in the 2024 WNBA playoffs. The Sun, a top contender for the championship, secured the third seed after a decisive 85-54 victory over the Chicago Sky in their regular-season finale.
This marks the Fever’s first playoff appearance since 2016, largely thanks to Clark’s standout performance, positioning her as a strong candidate for the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year. Indiana also features experienced guard Kelsey Mitchell, who is in her seventh professional season. However, the Fever’s starting lineup lacks playoff experience, in contrast to the Sun, whose core has made several deep postseason runs, including reaching the 2022 Finals.
In terms of playoff structure, the WNBA employs a format where the sixth seed faces the third seed in the first round. All first-round matchups are best-of-three series, with the higher-seeded team’s court hosting the first two games and a potential Game 3 being played at the lower-seeded team’s location.
The playoff schedule is as follows:
– Game 1: Sunday, Sept. 22 at Connecticut, 3 p.m. ET on ABC
– Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Connecticut, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
– Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, Sept. 27 at Indiana, tip time TBA, on ESPN2
This season, the Fever and Sun have met four times, with Connecticut leading the series 3-1. In those matchups, Clark’s performance has varied, including a high of 20 points in one game but also facing challenges, such as high turnover rates. Indiana’s victory against Connecticut occurred after the Olympic break, during which the Fever have played remarkably well, accumulating a 9-4 record.
In the upcoming playoffs, Clark will likely be matched up against Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington, a formidable defender known for her athleticism and physical style of play. Carrington’s success in guarding Clark has been evident, as Clark has struggled with her shooting percentage against the Sun this season.
With a strong defensive lineup, including Carrington, DeWanna Bonner, and Alyssa Thomas, the Sun is well-equipped to challenge Clark and her teammates. The Fever will need to utilize their recent momentum and the contributions of players like Mitchell and Lexie Hull to stand a chance against the experienced Sun team.