One of the most anticipated matchups of the season was the Fever’s first game against the Dallas Wings. Seeing Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers going head-to-head promised to be an exciting matchup. Injuries derailed that excitement, much like a big part of the Fever’s season.
Clark missed the Fever’s first game against the Wings. It was a 94-86 win for Indiana. Big games from Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston propelled the Clark-less team to a much-needed victory. Clark will also have to sit out the second meeting.
The Fever hope to extend their win streak
The Fever are currently on a three-game win streak. They have beaten the Las Vegas Aces, Chicago Sky, and Phoenix Mercury. Especially the latter was a big win.
Kelsey Mitchell has been the driving force behind the Fever’s success without Clark. She is living up to her All-Star selection, putting up big numbers game after game. She didn’t have a great game against Phoenix, converting only three of her ten field goal attempts, but Aari McDonald picked up the slack. She dropped a season-high 27 points.
The Wings have won only eight games all season long. So, technically, this game is a great opportunity for the Fever to get another win and solidify their standing in the playoff picture. The Fever currently sit in sixth place in the regular-season standings, just one game behind the Seattle Storm and Atlanta Dream. With a few wins, they could potentially sneak past those teams.
However, the Wings have proven that they shouldn’t always be taken lightly. They beat Seattle and New York recently and only lost to the Dream after Naz Hillmon hit a big shot at the end.
It’s still unclear when Caitlin Clark will be back
Caitlin Clark has been out for a while, playing only 13 games so far. It is still unclear when Clark is expected to be back. The latest update Fever fans got was when ESPN’s Holly Rowe reported that Clark may be out until late August. That wouldn’t give her a lot of time to play in the regular season, but it would mean that she might at least be ready to go for the playoffs.
Making the playoffs and potentially even winning a series is the ultimate goal for the Fever this season. They made it to the postseason last year but were swept by the more experienced Connecticut Sun. As a result, Clark, Mitchell, Boston, and Lexie Hull all have little playoff experience. Changing that will be crucial to the Fever’s future success.