The Indiana Fever went through about as much of an up-and-down season as any team in any sports has ever gone through. For Caitlin Clark, it was a bittersweet season that will leave her more hungry than ever for next season.
Clark was only able to play in 13 games this year due to injury issues. She missed all of the playoffs due to a groin injury. Unfortunately, the questions will remain about whether or not the Fever would have won a championship with her on the court.
On Tuesday night, Indiana saw it season come to an end in a winner-take-all Game 5 matchup on the road against the Las Vegas Aces. The Fever fought to the end, taking the Aces to overtime despite being incredibly short-staffed.
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Not only was Clark out in the playoffs, Indiana was also forced to play without Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, Chloe Bibby, and Damiris Dantas. Kelsey Mitchell, the star Fever guard, also went down with an injury in Game 5.
Despite not having so many players, Indiana found a way to take Las Vegas to overtime. Heading into next season, there is no question that the Fever will be among the top-tier championship contenders.
Following Indiana’s loss to the Aces, Clark took to social media on X and shared a short and touching message to her teammates and to the Fever fan base.
“So much to be proud of,” Clark wrote. “Shoutout the fans for staying with us all year.”
Few teams have had as much bad luck on the injury front as Indiana had this season. Stephanie White deserves a lot of credit for the job she did coaching the Fever through all of the different injuries. Even without all of those players mentioned above, Indiana was close to making it to the WNBA Finals.
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While the sting of the Game 5 loss is still fresh, the future is bright for the Fever. White and Clark have a strong foundation underneath them as the team moves into the future.
Hopefully, the 2026 WNBA season will consist of much better luck. It will be interesting to see what Indiana does in the offseason and which players are back from this season. However, it was a special year and the Fever should be proud of what they were able to accomplish despite all of the adversity they faced.
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