WNBA Power Rankings: Fever heating up after 7-4 mark in June - ESPN

Midway through June, rookie Caitlin Clark described how the Indiana Fever judge themselves regardless of the endless outside noise.

«No one came in here and said we were going to be WNBA champions from day one,» Clark said. «Our goal is to get back to the playoffs, and we're fighting for that every single night.»

Now with June over, the Fever (8-12) are halfway through the 40-game WNBA schedule, and their focus remains the same. Indiana, which jumps to No. 6 this week in ESPN's WNBA Power Rankings, wants to keep growth, unity, perspective and the playoffs in mind. The Fever did that Sunday in an 88-82 comeback victory at Phoenix, capping a 7-4 mark in June.

Clark was one rebound short of what would have been the first triple-double by a WNBA rookie. She and center Aliyah Boston combined for 32 points, 17 rebounds and 16 assists. The No. 1 picks from the 2023 and 2024 drafts faced off against two other No. 1s: Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, who were drafted nine years apart and have played the past decade together in Phoenix. Boston was asked about Taurasi and Griner being a model for her and Clark.

«It's special what DT and BG have been able to do,» Boston said of the WNBA and Olympic champions. «I think with Caitlin and I, we're looking to be a great guard-post duo. We've been able to get a better feel for each other over the course of these games.»

Sunday's win was the Fever's first victory this season over a team that had a winning record, and the first time since 2022 they've come back from down at least 15 points to win. Indiana had five players score in double figures. And led by forward NaLyssa Smith (15 rebounds), the Fever dominated the board battle 42-28.

Veteran center Temi Fagbenle, who returned Thursday