Fever Battle Mercury Amid Playoff Race as Caitlin Clark Remains Sidelines

Phoenix, Arizona – The Indiana Fever face off against the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday, Sept. 2, at 10 p.m. ET at PHX Arena. Both teams aim to improve their playoff positioning as the regular season winds down.

The Fever (21-19) dropped to seventh place after losing to the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday. They need to secure a win against the Mercury, who have already clinched a playoff spot and sit at 25-14.

Star player Caitlin Clark remains sidelined due to a right groin injury, marking her 19th consecutive game missed. Clark last played on July 15. “I want to see her in practice, you know, live in practice,” said Fever coach Stephanie White. “She needs to build endurance and handle contact to be ready for games.”

In addition to Clark, the Fever will also be without forward Chloe Bibby, who is recovering from a left knee injury. Other key players have suffered season-ending injuries, further straining Indiana’s roster.

The Mercury, on the other hand, are motivated to solidify their home-court advantage for the playoffs. Their recent form includes a strong home record of 14-6. They will look to build on their momentum against the Fever.

The playoff race is tightening, with options still open for several teams. Minnesota has secured home-court advantage throughout the postseason, while Las Vegas, Atlanta, and Phoenix are closely vying for the second, third, and fourth seeds. As of now, the Fever are in a tight contest, holding a two-game lead over the ninth-place team.

The WNBA postseason begins on Sept. 14, with all playoff teams guaranteed at least one home game. This season has introduced a new format where the lower seed will host Game 2 in a best-of-three series, and the higher seed will host a potential decisive Game 3.

Alyssa Thomas of Phoenix earned AP Player of the Week honors for her recent performances, contributing an average of 13.7 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Mercury went 3-0 last week.

Fever fans are hoping for a strong showing against the Mercury, though they will be without their star for another game. With the playoffs rapidly approaching, every game holds significant weight for both teams.