Joe Buglewicz/Getty Pictures
The Indiana Fever’s 2024 playoffs could also be over after two video games, however Caitlin Clark is anticipating deeper postseason runs for her group sooner or later.
“It is a good little style of what is doable for this group and for this franchise,” Clark instructed reporters after the Fever’s elimination loss to the Connecticut Solar on Wednesday in Recreation 2, per ESPN’s Andrea Adelson. “There’s quite a bit for us to carry our heads excessive about. This group gained 5 video games two years in the past. We’re a younger group, a fairly inexperienced group, however we got here collectively and had quite a lot of enjoyable enjoying collectively.
“Typically the worst a part of it’s such as you really feel such as you’re actually enjoying your greatest basketball, after which it has to finish.”
Clark continued: “The enjoyable half is I really feel like I am simply scratching the floor, and I am one which’s nitpicking each single factor I do. I do know I wish to assist this franchise get even higher, assist my teammates get even higher, and I do know there’s quite a lot of room for me to proceed to enhance. So that is what excites me probably the most. I really feel like I might proceed to get quite a bit higher, and earlier than we all know it, I am positive we’ll all be again right here and prepared for the following yr.”
Regardless of setting a WNBA playoff rookie document with 25 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Clark was unable to energy her group to victory on Wednesday evening as Alyssa Thomas and the Solar clinched the opening-round collection with an 87-81 win at residence.
The shortened postseason run nonetheless marked important progress for a membership that had missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons previous to deciding on Clark on the prime of the 2024 draft.
Led by Clark and two different former excessive draft picks, 2018 No. 2 choice Kelsey Mitchell and 2023 No. 1 choose Aliyah Boston, the Fever climbed to twenty wins and a .500 season document for the primary time since 2016.
Led by its younger stars, the Fever at instances struggled with inexperience all through the season, as confirmed throughout Clark’s playoff debut in Sunday’s Recreation 1 in opposition to the Solar.
The loss turned a blowout within the second half as Clark struggled from behind the arc, making two of 13 three-point makes an attempt as she completed with 11 factors within the 93-69 loss.
The Fever had been as soon as once more trailing by 9 factors heading into the fourth quarter of Recreation 2 earlier than a late surge of offense by Clark helped pull the guests into the lead with 4 minutes remaining.
Veteran DeWanna Bonner pushed the Solar again forward earlier than late Fever fouls allowed Connecticut a collection of free throws that put the elimination sport out of attain.
The Solar are actually set to face the Minnesota Lynx when the WNBA semifinals start on Sunday.
The Fever will in the meantime enter the offseason with Clark, signed by 2027, and Boston, locked in by 2026, because the younger core of what is going to be a playoff hopeful subsequent fall.
The largest offseason query for Indiana would be the expiring contract of Mitchell, who tied Clark for the group lead with 19.2 factors final season and is prone to be in demand throughout free company.
If the Fever are capable of work out a deal that can preserve the 28-year-old guard in Indiana whereas utilizing this winter so as to add extra depth round Boston and Clark, this group could possibly be set for an extended postseason in 2025.
