The Indiana Fever ended their regular season on a bittersweet note, narrowly losing their final game to the Washington Mystics. With that defeat, they finished sixth in the standings, holding a record of 20-20. Although the Mercury could potentially match their record in their last game, the Fever’s head-to-head advantage means their position remains secure. As a result, Caitlin Clark and company will face the third-seeded Connecticut Sun in the playoffs.

The Connecticut Sun holds a favorable position against the Indiana Fever, thanks to home-court advantage in the first two games and their success in previous matchups this season. However, the Fever have their star rookie, who has consistently been a driving force behind the team’s victories—even securing a win against the Sun later last month. Her impressive stats from past encounters could make all the difference for the Fever as they prepare to face off in the postseason.

Caitlin Clark: The spark of hope for the Indiana Fever against the Connecticut Sun

The Indiana Fever faced off against the Connecticut Sun four times this year, managing to secure a win only in their final matchup in August after losing the first three encounters. Interestingly, Caitlin Clark made her WNBA debut against the Sun during the Fever’s season opener at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Although the Fever lost that game by a considerable margin, Clark certainly made her presence known, scoring an impressive 20 points. But she fell short on assists and 3PM, with 3 and 4 of 11 respectively. It was regardless a bold statement to announce her arrival in the league.

In her subsequent three matchups against the Connecticut Sun, the 22-year-old couldn’t quite replicate the scoring from her debut performance. Her third encounter was particularly challenging as not only did her team suffer a loss, but she also recorded just 10 points and a couple of assists. But her turnovers did come down from 10 to 5 and 3.

The final game against the Sun took place in the third week of August, a time when the rookie guard was on fire after returning from the All-Star break. She brought that same intensity when the Sun visited Indianapolis, helping the Fever avoid a season sweep. The No.22 contributed 19 points, five assists, and five rebounds to her impressive stat line.

Despite holding a challenging 1-3 record against their playoff rivals, the Indiana Fever have a solid reason for optimism in Caitlin Clark. As the team’s standout performer, she has amassed the most points against the Sun this season, totaling 66 points and 15 assists. That breaks down to an impressive average of 16.5 points and 3.8 assists per game against their first-round foes.

The Iowa alum has also demonstrated her shooting prowess, knocking down 12 three-pointers out of 35 attempts, giving her a shooting accuracy of 34.3 percent. Averaging 19.5 points and 8.4 assists throughout her rookie season, she’s a strong contender for Rookie of the Year. With her talent on the team, the Fever are optimistic about changing their fortunes in the playoffs.

To add to her motivation, she carries a memorable moment from her last encounter with the Sun that could give her an extra edge as she gets ready to hit the court once more.

Caitlin Clark had a record-breaking night against Connecticut last time

The Fever No.1 pick’s debut season has been nothing short of extraordinary, with her breaking multiple records, including those for single-season assists and rookie scoring. She added another impressive achievement during the Fever’s final game against the Sun.

Just under three minutes into the matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Clark made history by sinking her 86th three-pointer of the season, setting a new WNBA rookie single-season record. The previous record was held by Rhyne Howard of the Atlanta Dream, who hit 85 threes during a 34-game season in 2022. After the Fever’s final game, Clark’s impressive tally climbed to 122 three-pointers, surpassing even Diana Taurasi’s 2006 count of 121.

In their final matchup of the season, the Indiana Fever faced even a tighter contest against the Connecticut Sun compared to their earlier game in June, where the Sun’s decisive win led Coach Christy Sides to bench several starters early in the fourth quarter. This time, the game was physical and closely contested.

With the Sun seemingly on the verge of victory, Marina Mabrey hit a three-pointer to push the score to 80-78 in the fourth quarter. However, the Fever rallied back with a layup from Aliyah Boston, a runner by Caitlin Clark, and two free throws from Lexie Hull, ultimately clinching the game with a final score of 84-80.

Although it’s been over three weeks since that exciting victory, it’s sure to fuel the Fever’s motivation as they prepare to face their opponents at Mohegan Sun Arena on September 23rd.