Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever secure sixth place in the WNBA playoffs
USA TODAY’s Lindsay Schnell explains how impressive Caitlin Clark was in helping secure the sixth seed in the WNBA playoffs.
Sportpuls
This story has been updated to add new information.
The field of participants for the WNBA postseason will be determined after the conclusion of the regular season on Thursday.
A’ja Wilson and the defending champion Las Vegas Aces are back in the playoffs along with seven other teams.
Three teams fought for the eighth and final playoff spot on Thursday. The Atlanta Dream secured the last playoff spot with a 78-67 victory over the New York Liberty.
The Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics missed out on playoff berths after missing the playoffs last season. The Seattle Storm, Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury earned berths after failing to qualify for the 2023 postseason.
Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston will make their postseason debuts on Sunday.
Playoff participants: Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever, faces Connecticut Sun in the first round
Here’s who’s in the playoffs and first-round matchups:
WNBA playoff table
Matches in the first round
- No. 8 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 1 New York Liberty
- No. 7 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 2 Minnesota Lynx
- No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. No. 3 Connecticut Sun
- No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Las Vegas Aces
2024 WNBA postseason schedule:
All times Eastern
Sunday:
- Game 1: Atlanta in New York (1 p.m., ESPN)
- Game 1: Indiana at Connecticut (3 p.m., ABC)
- Game 1: Phoenix at Minnesota (5:00 p.m., ESPN)
- Game 1: Seattle in Las Vegas (10 p.m., ESPN)
Tuesday:
- Game 2: Atlanta in New York (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
- Game 2: Seattle in Las Vegas (9:30 p.m., ESPN)
Wednesday:
- Game 2: Indiana at Connecticut (7:30 p.m., ESPN)
- Game 2: Phoenix at Minnesota (9:30 p.m., ESPN)
Thursday
- Game 3*: New York in Atlanta (TBD, ESPN 2)
- Game 3*: Las Vegas in Seattle (TBD, ESPN 2)
Friday, September 27:
- Game 3*: Connecticut at Indiana (TBD, ESPN 2)
- Game 3*: Minnesota at Phoenix (TBD, ESPN 2)
(* – If required)
Final score, seeding:
No. 1 New York Liberty
Breanna Stewart has led the Liberty to the top of the league, but after losing in last season’s final, the question remains whether they can claim the title this year.
No. 2 Minnesota Lynx
Longtime coach Cheryl Reeve and the Lynx are back for another playoff run after being quickly eliminated by the Sun in the first round last year. The Lynx have not made the finals since winning the championship outright in 2017.
No. 3 Connecticut Sun
The Sun will make their eighth consecutive playoff appearance but are still looking for their first title. The team reached the WNBA Finals in 2019 and 2022 but fell short.
No. 4 Las Vegas Aces
A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Plum and the Aces have won the last two WNBA finals and, under the leadership of coach Becky Hammon, are fighting for a chance to win a third consecutive championship.
No. 5 Seattle Storm
Seattle has returned to the playoffs after missing out in 2023. The Storm were consistent playoff contenders from 2016 to 2021, winning the title in 2018 and 2020.
No. 6 Indiana Fever
Rookie Caitlin Clark will make her postseason debut with the Fever this weekend. Aliyah Boston, also a former top pick, will also make her playoff debut. The winner of the 2023 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award missed the playoffs last season.
No. 7 Phoenix Mercury
Diana Taurasi and the Mercury are back in the playoffs after losing in the first round in 2022 and missing the postseason entirely in 2023. This will be Brittney Griner’s first postseason appearance since returning to the team following her detention in Russia.
No. 8 Atlanta Dream
With Tanisha Wright at the helm, the Dream made the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Before Wright’s arrival, the Dream had been absent from the playoffs for four seasons.
