The Fever and Caitlin Clark were close to tying the game at 73 with a little less than 3 minutes on the clock. However, they couldn’t keep up and lost to the Connecticut Sun 87-81 in the first round of the playoffs. That was quick and unexpected! Fever’s loss to grab an opportunity to make it to the finals also means the team won’t get their hands on the glorious prize money. Instead, the team would have to settle for just $1,616 to console their aching hearts.

As per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), WNBA players are given a monetary token based on how far their teams have advanced. Clark and co., who couldn’t move past the first round, will be offered just $1,616.

Had they made it to the second round, each Fever player would have gained a prize money of $3,123. Of course, that is no longer possible. Any team that ends up being the Championship runner-up will have each of their players take home a handsome amount of $7,746. A good one for sure!

But here’s the thing, even the amount given to the runners-up pales in comparison to the prize money for the winners. The bonus pool for the athletes is $500,000. This means each player from the winning team will receive $20,825. Well, this amount is much more than what the Indiana Fever will be receiving since they lost in the best of three.

Indiana Fever’s efforts ended with a bitter loss

Alyssa Thomas was the star of Game 1. She led the Suns to a 93-69 win over the sixth-seeded Fever with a triple-double. All she had to do was channel the same energy in Game 2. And she did. Despite Clark putting up 25 points and nine assists, the Fever still couldn’t bring down the Sun.

Clark’s shooting skills was also criticized by the fans after the display in Game 1. Some argued about Fever’s performance, while others pointed out poor officiating. That was quite heartbreaking for the team that had an incredible performance this year. Much of the credit goes to Fever rookie Clark. She initially had a tough time in the league, struggling to adjust to the pro format. The team had a rough start, partly due to a bundle of games crammed together.

It took some time for the Fever to find their rhythm. But after the Olympic break, there was no looking back, and the team was much more in sync. The hype around the Indiana Fever going into the playoffs was louder than ever. After all, this was the team’s first playoff appearance since 2016.

After the loss to the Connecticut Sun, the Fever will head home until their next game in 2025.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.