UNCASVILLE, Conn. — The Indiana Fever ended their record-setting season at Mohegan Sun Arena on Wednesday night, getting eliminated by the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the playoffs.
The Fever fell to the Sun, 87-81, in Game 2 of the playoffs.
Caitlin Clark led the Fever with 25 points and nine assists, while Aliyah Boston added 16 points and a career-high 19 rebounds.
Here are three observations:
Fever swept in first round, end season in Connecticut
It went down to the wire, but the Fever dropped their second-straight playoff game to the Sun to get eliminated from the playoffs.
After coming back from an 11-point deficit in the second half, the Fever led the Sun by two as late as the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. But a 3-pointer from DeWanna Bonner, a misplaced pass off an inbound from Fever guard Lexie Hull, then a 3-pointer from Sun guard Marina Mabrey gave Connecticut a four-point lead — something they held onto until the rest of the game.
Still, it was a year of immense growth for the Fever. They went from a 13-27 record to 20-20 for their first 20-win season since 2015, and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Fever-Sun get chippy in first half
There was no shortage of chippy moments in the first half of the Fever’s elimination game.
It started when rookie Caitlin Clark thought Bonner didn’t give her enough space on a 3-point attempt. Clark landed on Bonner’s foot, falling to the ground, and there was no call. Clark turned to the officials while running down the court, and Bonner intervened, saying something to Clark. The Fever rookie then pushed Bonner, and the two needed to be separated.
Later in the half, Clark pointed out a fan, sitting in the second row of courtside seats, to officials. The fan was removed from the court for a short time by arena security before returning. In the same timeout, Bonner and Clark had another conversation. Clark didn’t like what Bonner said to her, walking away and shaking her head.
Finally, Sun guard Marina Mabrey needed to be held back by her teammates after she fell into her bench, thinking Clark didn’t give her enough space after a 3-point attempt.
While the chippiness seemed to die down in the second half, it was still an intense game —especially with the crowd involved.
Temi Fagbenle replaces NaLyssa Smith
NaLyssa Smith had multiple games of dwindling minutes — over the final 10 regular-season games, Smith played around 20 minutes per game while her fellow starters played 30 or more. In that process, backup forward Temi Fagbenle started playing more, eclipsing Smith’s minutes.
Smith started Sunday’s Game 1, but only played nine minutes. Fagbenle played 13 minutes off the bench. On Wednesday, coach Christie Sides eventually made the change. Fagbenle started in place of Smith.
Fagbenle is a more defensive-minded player, something the Fever needed against the gritty Sun. The 32-year-old forward also fits in well with the Fever’s uptempo offense — something that changed this season.
Smith only ended up playing four minutess of the bench in Wednesday’s game, grabbing three rebounds and having a +/- of -12. Fagbenle played 35 minutes, scoring nine points with nine rebounds.
How many points did Caitlin Clark score tonight?
The first-team All-WNBA pick scored 25 points on 10-of-23 shooting with nine assists and six rebounds in playing all 40 minutes.
