The WNBA season, which kicked off in April, has already made history with the most-watched draft in the league’s history, drawing an impressive 2.4 million viewers-a 307% increase compared to last year.
The draft’s number one pick, Caitlin Clark, set the tone for a historic season, breaking numerous records along the way. With just over two weeks left in the regular season, three teams have already secured their playoff spots: the New York Liberty (26-6), Connecticut Sun (22-8), and Minnesota Lynx (23-8), leaving five spots open for the remaining nine teams.
Clark is on Fire
In the Fever’s recent victory against the Connecticut Sun, Caitlin Clark made history again by breaking Rhyne Howard’s rookie record for three-pointers made in a season, previously set in 2022 with 86.
The Fever dominated the game, leading for most of the contest. However, there was a tense moment between Clark and the referees after a collision between Alyssa Thomas and Clark, which left Clark on the floor.
Her teammates, particularly the 6’5″ Aliyah Boston, quickly intervened to prevent Clark from potentially confronting the referees and risking a technical foul, which could have shifted the momentum in the closely contested game.
As seen in the video, her teammates immediately stepped in to prevent any escalation, knowing that while Clark usually controls her emotions well, she can explode like a kettle when provoked, a who could know that better than her own teammates.
As their star player, they didn’t want to take any chances. Clark, who is the clear favorite for Rookie of the Year, is now among the top three contenders for the MVP award, alongside A’Ja Wilson from the Las Vegas Aces (18-12), who leads the league in points and is a top defender, and Napheesa Collier from the Minnesota Lynx (23-8)
Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese 4.0
With only a few games left for each team, every match is now crucial, especially today’s highly anticipated showdown between top rookies Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever (15-16), currently in seventh place, and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky (11-19), who are in eighth place, clinging to the final playoff spot.
The Fever lead the season series 2-1 and have been far better since returning from the Olympic break, with a 4-1 record compared to the Sky’s 1-5. Since their last meeting on June 23rd, the teams have had contrasting results, with Fever posting an 8-5 record, while the Sky have gone 5-10.
At that time, Chicago was ahead of Indiana, but that has since changed. In Friday’s game, both Clark and Reese could achieve double-doubles-Clark with points and assists, and Reese with points and rebounds.
A win for the Fever would put them five games ahead of the Sky and further almost secure their playoff spot, something they haven’t achieved since 2016. With nine games remaining, six of which are at home, the Fever are in a strong position, having a 9-1 record in their last 10 home games.
If Chicago wins, they would remain three games behind and stay one game ahead of the Atlanta Dream (10-20) in the eighth position. Given the Los Angeles Sparks’ poor season, with only seven wins, the real battle for the last playoff spots will likely be between Chicago Sky (11-19), Atlanta Dream (10-20), and Washington Mystics (9-22), as Indiana Fever looks to climb even higher in the standings.
