3 reasons the Indiana Fever are in the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2016

On Sept. 3, with more than two weeks remaining in the WNBA season, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever clinched their first playoff berth since 2016. The franchise was well on their way to making the postseason but they had a little help from the Las Vegas Aces who smothered the Chicago Sky and the Phoenix Mercury who shattered the Atlanta Dream.

Since the post-Olympic break, Indiana has compiled a 6-1 one record and is currently on a four-game winning streak, currently the longest in the league.

At the beginning of the season, it was clear that the game pace affected the team. The Olympic break benefited the Fever because it allowed them to recoup and focus on the second half of the season. It's been different story for the franchise since the break, with Caitlin Clark elevating her game, Aliyah Boston knocking down shots, and the supporting cast stepping up.

Indiana is in sixth place with a 17-16 record and would play the Minnesota Lynx if the playoffs started today. With seven games left until the postseason, Clark and the Fever have already made the postseason but could climb the standings with a few more wins and a bit more luck.

Here are the three biggest changes for the Fever, the ones that have wiped away years of struggles and a rough start to the 2024 season, putting them back on a postseason track.

3. Consistent offense

Indiana will make the playoffs, first and foremost, because of their balanced offensive attack. Clark is putting up impressive numbers averaging 18.7 points, 8.4 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game but she isn't leading the team in scoring.

Kelsey Mitchell is having a phenomenal season and is leading the team in scoring with a career high19 points per game. Clark's ability to pull up from anywhere on the floor and get the ball anywhere on the floor takes the pressure off of Mitchell.

The Fever currently have the third-best offensive rating in the league. They aren't particularly effective at protecting the ball, hitting the offensive glass or getting to the line but they just make shots.

2. Room to operate

Mitchell's (37.6 percent) and Clark's (34.1) 3-point shooting is helping space the floor which allows Aliyah Boston to dominate in the post. The high-pick-and-roll is becoming a staple in late-game situations which makes it tough for defenses to adjust.

Boston is leading the team in rebounding with nine boards per game. When the team struggles to score, she is a security blanket and can get easy buckets at the rim.

As of late, the team has received contributions from Lexie Hull who is shooting a scorching hot 45.6 percent from 3 and she plays hard on defense. Damiris Dantas has come alive on the offensive boards and from downtown. Nylassa Smith is one player who gets easy points in transition due to Clark's vision.

Smith is a player that benefits from the attention Clark demands on offense. NS can create her own shot and get to the rim at will but she's especially effective once Clark has already bent the defense. Despite the slow start at the beginning of the season, Indiana head coach Christie Sides has found a few lineups that work.

1. The Caitlin Clark effect

Indiana turning the tables toward the end of the season is a credit to the team. However, the Clark effect is a huge factor in the team's current standings. CC struggled to adjust to the physicality earlier in the season along with trying to hit the home run plays. As the season went on, the game started to slow down for her.

Although the Iowa product is shooting slightly lower than average from three (34.1), her ability to draw defenders gives others a chance to score.

One aspect of Clark's game that goes unnoticed is her vision and passing ability. She is constantly looking up and can throw accurate overhead, baseball, and skip passes with ease.

Clark creates easy transition points because of her ability to get the ball out on time in front of her teammate. At the beginning of the season, she tried to take on the scoring responsibility but quickly realized that she had to lean on her teammates.

The Fever made the postseason because of their second-half resurgence and their remaining schedule. Indiana will finish their last seven games against the Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx, Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces (twice), Dallas Wings, and Washington Mystics.

Las Vegas is the only team in the remaining schedule that the Fever has not beaten this season. Atlanta is the closet team to the eighth seed but continues to struggle and close games out.

Phoenix is currently the seventh seed and has been inconsistent all season and the Chicago Sky have been up and down this season. The Sky are currently without Chennedy Carter due to an illness which couldn't come at a worse time with the team on a six-game losing streak. All that is to say the Fever are in and now they have a chance to move up in the standings.