Where did it go wrong for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever?

Caitlin Clark’s rookie season has come to an end as the Indiana Fever were swept 2-0 by the Connecticut Sun. Despite Clark’s personal performance, the Fever were outclassed by the Sun, falling 87-81 in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.

Clark put up 25 points, six rebounds and nine assists on the night, becoming the first rookie in WNBA history, “with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a single game,” per Fox Sports.

The Sun were on top for most of the game, with Alyssa Thomas top-scoring with 19 points, adding 13 assists and five rebounds to her impressive playoff stat line.

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The game was plagued by chippiness between the two teams, with Clark and DeWanna Bonner of the Sun getting in each other’s faces early.

Clark has been targeted by opponents throughout her rookie season, so it was no surprise to see it in action on Wednesday night. However, the chippiness seemed to inspire the Sun ever more so than Clark, with Connecticut going on a 16-2 scoring run.

Clark and the Fever refused to give up, at one point taking the lead back from Connecticut, but the Sun’s depth and experience proved too much, with Marina Mabrey hitting multiple shots from beyond the arc late in the game to secure her team’s playoff progress.

Regardless of how it ended, Caitlin Clark’s rookie season should be seen as a success. At one point, the Fever were 1-8 before turning things around and earning the 6th seed, making the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Fever head coach Christie Sides told reporters she was, “Just proud of the adversity these guys went through,” per ESPN. Adding, “The expectations that were insane for us to start this season, and what people thought we should be doing, and just the outside noise that these guys had to endure from Game 1 till now,” referencing the media circus that follows Clark and the Fever.

Clark’s season will be looked back at as one of the best rookie years in WNBA history, not just for her on-court performances, but for the impact she made on the sport. ESPN claims 1.8 million viewers tuned into game one of the Fever v Suns series, more than four times that of the other games so far in the WNBA.

For the Sun, their focus will now turn to round two of the playoffs where they are set to face the Minnesota Lynx, who swept the Phoenix Mercury in dominant fashion. The Sun are looking to win their first WNBA title, while the Lynx are looking to win their first since 2017 and add a fifth title to their collection. 

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