Fever playoff picture: Here's who Caitlin Clark, Indiana could face in WNBA postseason
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Fever playoff picture: Here's who Caitlin Clark, Indiana could face in WNBA postseason originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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The Indiana Fever are set to close out the season on Thursday night against the Minnesota Lynx, and the team still has something to decide.
The Fever are one of several teams that have clinched a playoff spot but are still fighting for seeding in the standings. While a handful of teams have already locked in their spots in the postseason, Indiana can still end up facing a few different opponents.
Last year, Caitlin Clark was injured during the Fever's playoff run, and the year before Indiana got swept by the Connecticut Sun in the first round. So, Clark hopes to get her first playoff win this year when the Fever open the postseason, but it will come against a tough opponent.
Here's a look at where the Fever can still finish in the standings.
MORE: Updated WNBA standings for the postseason
Fever seeding scenarios
The Fever enter the final day of the regular season with two possible outcomes for seeding in the WNBA playoffs. Indiana will either be the No. 5 seed or No. 6 seed when the WNBA playoffs begins on Sunday.
In order for the Fever to get the No. 5 seed, Indiana needs to either beat the Lynx on Thursday night or see the Washington Mystics lose to the Chicago Sky. However, if the Fever lose and the Mystics win, then the Fever will drop a spot to the No. 6 seed.
Therefore, the Fever have three possible playoff opponents: the Atlanta Dream, the Las Vegas Aces o the Golden State Valkyries. If the Fever get the No. 5 seed, they will be locked into a first-round matchup vs. the Dream, but if Indiana falls to the No. 6 seed, they will get either the Aces or the Valkyries. As of right now, the Aces are the more likely No. 3 seed in the playoffs.
WNBA playoff standings
SeedTeamRecordWin %Games Back1Lynx*32-11.744—2.Valkyries*31-12.7211.03.Aces*30-13.6982.04.Dream*30-14.6822.55.Fever*28-15.6514.06.Mystics*27-16.6285.07.Wings*27-17.6145.58.Liberty*26-18.5916.5*Clinched playoff berth
Only 6.5 games separates the top eight teams in the league, but these are the clear playoff-caliber teams in the WNBA. The No. 9 team in the WNBA standings is the Portland Fire, who sit a full nine games back of the Liberty at 17-27.
The Lynx, Dream, Wings and Liberty are all locked into their spots as seeds Nos. 1, 4, 7 and 8. Therefore, the only thing left to decide is whether the Valkyries or Aces get the No. 2 seed, and whether the Fever or Mystics get the No. 5 seed.