ATLANTA – On Monday night, Indiana accomplished a feat the team hadn’t accomplished since Fever legend Tamika Catchings retired in 2016: winning more than 13 games in a single season.
Indiana’s 14 wins this season are the most since the Fever’s 2016 team went 17-17. Only Fever guard Erica Wheeler was with the Fever this season, serving her first tenure with the franchise. Other than that, it’s a completely different team – players, coaches and front office.
The last time the Fever won 14 or more games in a season, Fever rookie Caitlin Clark was a freshman in high school.
It’s been a long turnaround for the Fever since Catchings and coach Stephanie White left the team eight years ago. Now the team is rebuilding and becoming something sustainable.
“I think in our locker room, we’re focused on one game at a time, even when the coaches talk about it,” said Kelsey Mitchell, a seven-year pro and the longest-serving player on the Fever. “But we’re not crazy, you know, the playoffs are a big deal for all of us, and I think we’re trying to focus on the right thing, and I think the most important thing is to think one game at a time.”
The Fever, who beat Atlanta 84-79 on Monday, are loaded with young players. Three of their five starters (Clark, Aliyah Boston and third-year NaLyssa Smith) are still on rookie contracts, while Katie Lou Samuelson is in her fifth year. Indiana’s first choice off the bench, Lexie Hull, is also a third-year player.
Not many Fever players have playoff experience—only Damiris Dantas and Temi Fagbenle made it deep into the postseason, winning championships with the Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017, respectively (both came off the bench).
“We all feel like we can continue to improve in a lot of ways,” Clark said. “This team is young, has a lot of young talent and I feel like we’re just starting to put it together a little bit. So I hope it continues like that.”
Based on past seasons, the Fever will likely need to win at least 17 games to have a good chance of making the playoffs. A minimum record of 17-23 would give the Fever a .425 winning percentage in the regular season, and the average record of the league’s playoff finishers from 2017-23 was .428.
Plus, the Fever now have a head-to-head matchup with the Dream (Indiana is 3-0 against Atlanta), and it’s looking more and more likely that Indiana will finally end its streak of missing the playoffs. A win against the Sky next Sunday would also put Indiana in a head-to-head matchup with Chicago.
Three teams – New York, Connecticut and Minnesota – have already secured a playoff spot. Seattle and Phoenix are close to officially making the playoffs. ESPN currently gives Indiana a 94.4% chance of making the playoffs. The next highest chance is Chicago, which ESPN predicts has a 56.2% chance. Chicago and Atlanta, which have a 47.5% chance, will likely battle for the final playoff spot.
And if Indiana can secure an advantage in head-to-head matches against both teams, the team will likely have a lot less to worry about.
The Fever still has a lot of games on the line that they can win, including their final home game against the Dream on September 8. The Fever also play the three teams that are all but eliminated from the playoffs, including Los Angeles, Washington and Dallas (twice).
Those are five games where the Fever are likely favorites, and that could put them in a good position for the playoffs.. But that’s easier said than done.
The Fever led the Dream by as many as 18 points in the second half on Monday, but allowed them to get within two points. The Dream trailed by just three points with 30 seconds left and did everything they could to force overtime — including grabbing two offensive rebounds on the same possession before the Fever were able to regain control of the ball.
The win itself was a big step for the Fever – there were moments earlier in the season when they crumbled in these situations and accepted defeat without a fight. Indiana is still a young team and is still learning how to control these situations. To be truly successful, however, the Fever must make sure these big final spurts don’t happen in the first place.
“I think we just have to find a way to play a little better with the lead. That’s something we’ve struggled with a little bit this year and I think sometimes we get a little sluggish and don’t play at the same pace as we did in the first half,” Clark said. “… just not get sluggish and find a way to keep pressing and build the lead instead of just letting them hang around.”
Follow IndyStar Fever Insider Chloe Peterson on X at @chloepeterson67.
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This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Fever has most wins since 2016; WNBA playoffs in sight
