A little less than two weeks ago, the Indiana Fever found themselves in a tough spot. They had just been crushed by the reigning champion New York Liberty on either side of the All-Star break to fall to 12-12 and were clinging to one of the final playoff spots. To make matters worse, there was no clarity surrounding Caitlin Clark’s right groin injury — her third soft tissue ailment of the season.
As the stretch run began, there were big questions facing the organization: Would the team be able to hang on to a playoff spot without Clark? (At the time they were 8-5 with her and 4-7 without her.) And if not, would their record dictate her return timeline?
The answer to the first question was a resounding yes. They’ve won five games in a row to surge into fifth place and have climbed five games above .500 for the first time since 2015 — the last time they won a playoff game. They’re now closer to second (1½ games behind the New York Liberty) than they are to ninth (3½ games ahead of the Washington Mystics). And thus, we’ll never know the answer to the second question. If anything, this hot streak should allow the Fever to be extra cautious with their superstar.
It remains unclear when Clark will be back. “I still don’t know how far [away] we are,” Fever coach Stephanie White said on Sunday. “We’re gonna take it one step at a time, one day at a time, and go from there.”
The Fever need Caitlin Clark back. They are a better team with her, and any discussion of the contrary is delusional. But this winning streak has been a reminder of why their internal goals were to compete for a championship this season. There’s a lot of talent in Indianapolis.
Kelsey Mitchell is fifth in the league in scoring since the All-Star break (20.3 points per game); Aliyah Boston has recorded six consecutive double-doubles; Sophie Cunningham is shooting 47.4% since moving into the starting lineup on July 16; Natasha Howard had 21 points, five rebounds and five assists in the win over the Storm and continues to do whatever the team needs on both sides of the ball; Lexie Hull is the perfect glue piece off the bench; Aari McDonald and Chloe Bibby have been brilliant additions off the waiver wire.
In the long run, Clark’s repeated absences may end up being a “blessing in disguise,” according to White.
“We’ve got a deep team. We’ve got a great mix of veterans who have been in this league and who understand the ebbs and flows, and who understand injuries are a part of it, and young players who can continue to grow in their role, continue to gain confidence,” White said Sunday. “I think I said it early when [Clark] was out the very first time. While we don’t like it, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise because everyone else finds themselves. No one is afraid to make the big play offensively or defensively.”
Here are CBS Sports’ latest WNBA Power Rankings.
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