Caitlin Clark and the Fever are ready for their close-up.
The freshman phenom — and prospective Rookie of the Year — enjoyed a wondrous maiden season in Indianapolis, leading the league in assists while leaving a trail of broken records quivering in her wake. Indiana was better for it, too, turning a 13-27 finish in 2023 into a 20-20 showing in 2024, good for the No. 6-seed in the WNBA playoffs.
They’ll face quite the test in the third-seeded Sun. Connecticut (28-12) strung together another impressive year, benefiting from the continued strong play of ageless wonders Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner, as well as sizable contributions from Brionna Jones and DiJonai Carrington.
Stephanie White’s side has plenty of experience in the postseason — it’s only two years removed from a finals appearance. It also has defensive solidity, recording the league’s best defensive rating (94.1).
The Fever and Sun faced off four times during the regular season. In those contests, Connecticut was dominant, vanquishing its Hoosier foes on three occasions. There’s plenty to be taken from those performances, all of which took place in the opening paces of the season, but Indiana didn’t really catch fire until the second half. An 84-80 Fever victory over the Sun on Aug. 28…
