Fever’s Playoff Push Stalls After Costly Loss to Valkyries
The Indiana Fever’s playoff hopes took a major hit on Sunday night when they fell 75–63 to the Golden State Valkyries. It was a tough setback for Indiana, who came into the game holding on to a postseason spot, but left the night sliding from sixth to eighth in the WNBA standings.
Caitlin Clark’s absence has been one of the defining stories of Indiana’s season, and this loss highlighted it yet again. Clark missed her 18th straight game with a right groin injury, and her presence was clearly missed as the Fever struggled to generate consistent offense. Kelsey Mitchell did her best to carry the load, finishing with 14 points and three assists, but it wasn’t enough. On the other side, Golden State’s Iliana Rupert dominated with 21 points, leading the Valkyries to a win that allowed them to leapfrog Indiana in the standings.
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The timing could not have been worse for the Fever. With the regular season nearing its end, playoff spots are being claimed quickly. The Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces, Atlanta Dream, and Phoenix Mercury have already clinched their spots, while the New York Liberty remain on the verge of punching their ticket. The Liberty actually had a chance to clinch on Sunday night, but results elsewhere didn’t fall their way. They needed either a Los Angeles Sparks loss or an Indiana win, and neither happened. The Sparks edged Washington 81–78, and Indiana couldn’t get past Golden State. That left New York, sitting at 24–16, still waiting for their official postseason berth.
For Indiana, the margin for error has grown razor thin. At 21–19, the Fever are now tied up in a scramble with the Valkyries and the Seattle Storm, who both hold critical tiebreakers. To make matters more stressful, the Sparks are lurking just behind them, and Los Angeles owns a 4–0 head-to-head advantage over Indiana. That means if the two teams finish with identical records, the Sparks will advance instead.
The good news for Indiana is that their fate is still in their own hands. They don’t need outside help—they just need wins. But the schedule isn’t doing them any favors. They finish up their road trip on Monday night against the Storm, a team that also jumped them in the standings after Sunday’s results. Every possession, every quarter, and every game from here on out feels like a must-win situation.
The Fever’s season has been defined by resilience. Despite Clark missing 26 of their 39 games so far, they’ve managed to hang in the playoff race. Aliyah Boston and Odyssey Sims have stepped up in big moments, and the team has refused to fold. But Sunday’s loss was a reminder that the WNBA playoff race is unforgiving. As the final games approach, Indiana still has a chance to write a dramatic ending to its season—but only if they can turn things around quickly.
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