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    • Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark to Play Connecticut Sun in WNBA Playoffs
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    Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark to Play Connecticut Sun in WNBA Playoffs

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    It’s official: Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever will take on the Connecticut Sun in the 2024 WNBA playoffs.

    The Sun, favored to win the WNBA title in pre-season play, secured third place by beating the Chicago Sky 85-54 in the final regular-season game on Thursday.

    The Fever are returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. They reached the playoffs thanks to the play of Caitlin Clark, who will almost certainly win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award.

    Indiana boasts one of the league’s top veterans in guard Kelsey Mitchell, now in her seventh professional season. But none of the Fever starters have WNBA playoff experience, while the Sun and its core have made multiple deep postseason runs, including a trip to the 2022 Finals, where they lost in four games to the Las Vegas Aces. Earlier this season, the Sun traded guard Marina Mabrey, a sharpshooter on the perimeter, in hopes of bolstering their title chances.

    WNBA Playoff Format

    In the WNBA playoff format, the sixth seed takes on the third seed in the first round. All first-round matchups are best-of-three series, with the first two games played in the home country of the higher seed; Game 3, if necessary, is played in the home country of the lower seed.

    This format means that lower-seeded teams in the playoffs may not see the huge financial benefit of hosting a postseason game. And if they do manage to steal a game on the road, the higher-seeded team is left in the difficult position of having to win Game 3 in a hostile environment.

    So number 6 Indiana (20-20) plays number 3 Connecticut (28-12).

    Indiana vs. Playoff Schedule Connecticut

    ➤ Game 1: Sunday, September 22 in Connecticut, 3:00 p.m. ET on ABC

    ➤ Game 2: Wednesday, September 25 in Connecticut, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN

    ➤ Game 3 (if necessary): Friday, September 27 in Indiana, tip 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 holding a 3-1 lead. Here’s how Clark played in each of those games:

    ∎ May 14: Connecticut 92, Indiana 71

    • Clark statistics: 20 points (5 of 15 shooting, including 4 of 11 from 3), 3 assists, 2 steals, 10 turnovers

    ∎ May 20: Connecticut 88, Indiana 84

    • Clark statistics: 17 points (5 of 11 shooting, including 3 of 7 from 3), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, 5 turnovers

    ∎ June 10: Connecticut 89, Indiana 72

    • Clark statistics: 10 points (3 of 8 shooting, including 2 of 5 from 3), 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers

    ∎ August 28: Indiana 84, Connecticut 80

    • Clark statistics: 19 points (7 of 17 shooting, including 3 of 12 from 3), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 7 turnovers

    It’s worth noting that Indiana’s only win over Connecticut this season came after the Olympic break, which has been a huge benefit to Clark and the Fever overall. Indiana has been one of the better teams since the WNBA resumed play in August, with a 9-4 record; Las Vegas is the only team Indiana hasn’t beaten this season.

    Caitlin Clark vs. DiJonai Carrington

    In the playoffs, as in the regular season, Clark will likely be guarded by Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington, one of the league’s best perimeter defenders. At 5-foot-11, Carrington is a superlative athlete — it runs in the family, as her brother played eight seasons in the NFL — with long arms and quick feet who relies on physical play. She and Clark have developed something of a rivalry this season, as Carrington has repeatedly complained to officials about Clark’s complaining about fouls.

    Regardless, it’s clear that Carrington knows how to defend Clark, as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year has averaged just 39% (20-of-51) shooting against the Sun through four games, and has shot just 34% (12-of-35) from 3. And while Carrington has downplayed their individual game, it’s clear that Carrington takes pride in frustrating whoever they’re guarding and pressuring them to make mistakes and take hasty shots.

    The Sun have the best defensive rating in the league and have a ton of players with long wingspans who can harass Clark and Indiana’s other guards. If Carrington isn’t guarding Clark, it will likely be DeWanna Bonner or Alyssa Thomas, two veterans who also enjoy making life difficult for opponents.

    In short, Indiana has been playing great since the Olympic break, especially with the increased production of off guards Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull. But the Fever have their hands full.

    Email Lindsay Schnell at [email protected] and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

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