It’s official: Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will face off against the Connecticut Sun in the 2024 WNBA Playoffs.
The Sun, the preseason favorites to win the WNBA championship, clinched the No. 3 seed with a dominant 85-54 win over the Chicago Sky in the regular-season finale on Thursday.
The Fever returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and made the postseason thanks to the performance of Kaitlyn Clark, who is almost certain to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award in 2024.
Indiana has one of the best veterans in the league in guard Kelsey Mitchell, who is in her seventh year as a pro. However, the Fever’s starters have no WNBA playoff experience. Meanwhile, the Sun and their core have made multiple postseason appearances, including a trip to the Finals in 2022, where they lost in four games to the Las Vegas Aces. Earlier this season, the Sun traded for guard Marina Mabry to improve their chances of winning. She is a sharp shooter on the perimeter and a promising addition to the team.
WNBA Playoff Format
The WNBA playoff format sees the sixth seed play the third seed in the first round. All first round matchups are best-of-three, with the first two games played at the home of the higher seed. The third game, if necessary, will be played at the home of the lower seed.
This format would deny lower-seeded teams in the playoffs the huge financial benefits of hosting postseason games, and it would put higher-seeded teams in the tough position of having to win Game 3 on the road, even if they managed to win on the road.
That means No. 6 Indiana (20-20) will face No. 3 Connecticut (28-12).
Indiana vs Connecticut playoff schedule
➤ Game 1: Sunday, September 22nd, Connecticut, 3pm ET on ABC
➤ Game 2: Wednesday, September 25, Connecticut, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
➤ Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, Sept. 27, in Indiana, time TBA, on ESPN2
How has Caitlin Clark played against the Connecticut Sun this season?
The Sun and Fever have met four times this year, with Connecticut leading the game 3-1. Here’s how Clark played in each game:
May 14: Connecticut 92, Indiana 71
Clark’s stats: 20 points (5-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-11 3-pointers), 3 assists, 2 steals, 10 turnovers.
May 20: Connecticut 88, Indiana 84
Clark’s stats: 17 points (5-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-7 3-pointers), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers.
June 10: Connecticut 89, Indiana 72
Clark’s stats: 10 points (3-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-5 3-pointers), 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers.
August 28: Indiana 84, Connecticut 80
Clark’s stats: 19 points (7-of-17 shooting, including 3-of-12 3-pointers), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 7 turnovers.
It’s worth pointing out that the only time Indiana beat Connecticut this season was after the Olympic break. The Olympic break has been a huge benefit to Clark and the Fever. Indiana has been one of the better teams since the WNBA resumed play in August, going 9-4. The only team Indiana has failed to beat this season is Las Vegas.
Caitlin Clark vs. Dijonai Carrington
In the playoffs, Clark will likely be guarded by Connecticut’s DeJonai Carrington, just as she was in the regular season. Carrington is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. At 5’11, she’s a great athlete, and it runs in the family, as her brother played eight seasons in the NFL. She has long arms, quick feet, and enjoys playing a physical game. Carrington has complained about the officials on multiple occasions when Clark complained about foul calls, and something of a rivalry has developed between her and Clark this season.
Either way, it’s clear that Carrington knows how to guard Clark. Clark, the Rookie of the Year front-runner, is averaging just 39 percent shooting (20-of-51) and 34 percent (12-of-35) from the 3-point line in his four games against the Suns, and while Carrington has downplayed his record against them, it’s clear that he takes pride in applying pressure that frustrates his defenders and leads to mistakes and flustered shots.
The Suns have one of the best defenses in the league and plenty of players with long wingspans to give Clark and the rest of Indiana’s guards a hard time. If Carrington doesn’t guard Clark, it will likely be DeWanna Bonner or Alyssa Thomas, two veterans who also love to torment opposing guards.
Bottom line: Indiana has played well since the Olympic break, especially with off guards Kelsey Mitchell and Lexi Hull, but the Fever will have some struggles.
Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media. Lindsay Schnell