How Caitlin Clark and the Fever returned to WNBA playoffs - ESPN

INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark raised her hands and applauded the sellout crowd of 17,274 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday night. The Indiana Fever had just defeated the Dallas Wings 110-109, with Clark dropping a career-high 35 points and eight assists. The crowd showed no signs of let-up on an NFL Sunday, and Clark and her teammates took their time leaving their home court for what could be the final time this season.

Players signed small red-and-white basketballs and launched them into the stands for eager fans to take home. The arena DJ kept the party going, playing DJ Khaled's «All I Do Is Win» once the buzzer sounded and following it up with Kool & The Gang's «Celebration.»

Indiana has had plenty to celebrate over the past few months.

With Clark living up to the hype that followed her from her legendary career at Iowa, a rejuvenated Fever franchise is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the final year of the legendary Tamika Catchings' career. Sunday's result guaranteed Indiana its first .500 or better record since 2016 and clinched the No. 6 seed in the postseason, where its high-octane offense will look to knock off the 3-seed Connecticut Sun in a best-of-three, first-round WNBA playoff series.

Back in May, though, the playoff discussion seemed out of reach, the possibility of a semifinals berth almost unfathomable. The Fever desperately searched for an identity amid a 1-8 start. Clark, fellow former No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston and franchise stalwart Kelsey Mitchell looked like they were operating on different planes. All while the outside noise surged over what was going wrong in Indianapolis.

«It could have gone sideways real quick at 1-8,» Fever coach Christie Sides said last month. «The character