Caitlin Clark said she watched the replays of the two games that put the Indiana Fever in the WNBA playoffs on Tuesday night and fell asleep. For one thing, it was around midnight ET. But Clark wasn’t exactly surprised — even if it ended the Fever’s seven-year playoff drought.

“It’s definitely a big moment for this place, but at the same time, I came in with the expectation that this is what’s going to happen,” Clark said ahead of the Fever’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night. “For me, this is not a celebration. Yeah, it’s great. But there’s still so much to do. I’m not just happy to be in the playoffs. I feel like we’ve got the type of team that can win and move on.”

Las Vegas’ wins over Chicago and Phoenix’s win over Atlanta secured the Fever a playoff spot for the first time since 2016. Indiana had made the playoffs for 12 straight years, including a 2012 WNBA championship run, before the drought began.

Back-to-back No. 1 draft picks in Aliyah Boston (2023) and Clark (2024) helped the Fever return to prominence. Indiana started the season 1-8 and faced plenty of outside criticism, but Clark explained how the team overcame that.

“It was really hard, but for our group, we never let our heads drop,” she said. “We were able to block out the noise, and that’s what allowed us to be really good. It was just a matter of when we would figure it out.”

On Wednesday, Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the Month and Eastern Conference Player of the Month for August, while the Fever’s Christie Sides was named Coach of the Month.

Clark said she was grateful but thought her teammate Kelsey Mitchell, the Fever’s leading scorer, deserved the Player of the Month award.

“Exactly what she did, and the clip she did it at,” Clark said of Mitchell’s shooting percentages from the field, the 3-point line and the free throw line. “I feel privileged to play with her. I’m not even trying to be sentimental; I think she deserved it. I’m fortunate to have a backcourt buddy who’s been through this for seven years and who’s helped me and allowed me to thrive. Same with Christie … (she) allowed me to be myself and figure out this team and how to be successful.”

Indiana is the hottest team in the WNBA this season and played the first of a six-game home series on Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

“There weren’t a lot of moments to laugh at in the beginning,” Clark said. “But by going through that and laughing and finding the good in every day and reminding myself that I get to play basketball at the highest level, I was able to be in this moment.

“Taking this organization to the playoffs, that brings a lot of smiles, for myself but also for other people. Bringing them joy, helping them laugh, making their day better. I feel like I could do that even when we were 1-8. It was a reminder: do really good things on the basketball court, but more importantly, off the court.”