The break just started, and Indiana’s playoff footing is already shifting. Quick catch-up before we dig in: Indiana’s late-season test has been turning a franchise-record win total and a 7-2 burst into better playoff position. Stephanie White has warned about inconsistency on both ends, and the Fever came into this week trying to steady their contender case while fighting for seeding as a legitimate postseason threat. You’re listening to Indiana Fever Daily Podcast. Atlanta changed the race, and we’re digging into the playoff question that may come down to Aliyah Boston. Here's Athlon Sports:
The Indiana Fever didn’t take the court Sunday, but they still suffered a loss in the WNBA playoff race. Atlanta defeated the league-leading Minnesota Lynx 89-81 on Sunday afternoon, moving the Dream to 26-14 and into a tie with Indiana entering the extended FIBA Women’s World Cup break.
Atlanta beat the 31-8 Lynx, 89-81, and suddenly Indiana’s 26-14 record has them fifth. I hate watching home court vanish during a break. Indiana had been ahead of Atlanta, but the seeding fight flipped again: the Dream used that Lynx upset to retake fourth. Tony East’s point matters here—the tiebreaker favors Atlanta, and the Dream have five games left to Indiana’s four. And Atlanta didn’t just squeak past some lottery team. Allisha Gray hit six threes, Angel Reese put up 15 and 11 for her 29th double-double, and they handled Minnesota. That’s a rude reminder of who Indiana may have to chase. Indiana went 2-2 against Atlanta, so this is still very much in play. But a slow return from FIBA could turn a tie into a real gap fast. Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are both putting up huge numbers, but what do defenses actually do when they’re on the floor together? And how much more fragile does that get if Aliyah Boston isn’t available in a playoff series? Indiana has figured out how to keep two elite scoring guards on the floor without either becoming a spectator. You can’t just load up on Clark’s creation—Mitchell can take over a game herself. Sports Illustrated noted that they combined for 125 points in consecutive wins over Seattle and New York, with Clark starring against the Storm and Mitchell driving the Liberty win. They’ve paired that scoring with playmaking, too: in the 90-86 win over Chicago, Clark and Mitchell scored 26 and 27 points and combined for 13 assists, including 11 from Clark. Pressure Clark, and Mitchell gets room. Send extra attention to Mitchell, and Clark is there to organize the offense. Sporting News reported that Clark’s 37 points and 10 assists alongside Mitchell’s 30 against Chicago gave them their third game with both players scoring at least 30, something no other WNBA duo had done three times. Boston can make those choices even tougher, because Stephanie White has described the Clark-Boston pick-and-roll as potentially among the greatest in the game’s history. So Boston gives them more than another scoring option—she keeps defenses from treating this like a two-guard matchup and just living with whatever happens inside? Exactly. With Boston available as the screen-and-roll partner White has emphasized, defenses have to deal with the Clark-Boston action and Mitchell’s scoring. They can’t focus all their coverage on the backcourt. The playoff test is whether Indiana can keep forcing those decisions possession after possession, especially against teams built to apply ball pressure and take away easy guard looks. If you’re enjoying the Indiana Fever Daily Podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you’re listening. It helps other Fever fans find the show, and we appreciate you being here.
Links to every story are in the show notes, so take a look at the ones you want to explore further. Thanks for spending part of your Tuesday with us. That’s today’s Indiana Fever Daily Podcast. This is a Lantern Podcast.