Fever to start playoffs on the road after crushing Lynx loss
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The Indiana Fever return to the WNBA Playoffs Sunday, chasing a title that eluded them last season.
Why it matters: The Fever have spent much of 2026 playing under an unusually bright spotlight. Even for them.
- With all eyes on Indiana, they'll now work to quickly shake off a difficult regular-season finale and turn their league-best offense into a championship run.
The latest: The Fever lost their shot at postseason home-court advantage Thursday night when they fell to the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 86-66.
- The blowout locked the Fever into the No. 6 seed with a 28-16 record, and a WNBA semifinals rematch against the No. 3 Las Vegas Aces (31-13).
- Aliyah Boston aggravated a lower-leg injury and Tyasha Harris was carried off with a left ankle injury.
- After the game, head coach Stephanie White said Boston's issue was a flare-up of a knee injury and she was held out as a precaution. She had no update on Harris.
Zoom in: The Fever wrapped the 2026 season as the highest-scoring offense in WNBA history.
- Their average of 96 points per game eclipses the previous record of 93.9 points per game set by the Phoenix Mercury in 2010.
- Kelsey Mitchell and Clark also became just the second pair of teammates in league history to average more than 20 points per game, and the Fever set a franchise record for wins with 28.
What they're saying: "We're scary when we're clicking," Clark said after Tuesday's victory over Minnesota.
- She called the Fever the league's top offensive team and said the key now is consistency. If they eliminate the third-quarter lapses, she said, "I think we're a championship contender."
Between the lines: That consistency has been tested throughout the regular season both on and off the court.
- They've dealt with a rotating lineup, a highly publicized early-season exchange between Clark and coach Stephanie White, endless discourse about fouls, Sophie Cunningham's off-court controversies and the constant attention that follows the league's most visible team.
Yes, but: Fever leaders have been vocal about ditching the distractions once the ball is tipped, and White sees the payoff of hard work.
- After Tuesday's win, White called the first half "the most beautiful basketball we've played all year," praising the team's ball movement, defense and mentality.
What we're watching: While Indiana leads the WNBA in scoring, defense remains the clearest potential postseason vulnerability.
- The Fever ranked 12th in points allowed and will need Boston anchoring the defense
What's next: Tipoff time and broadcast details for Game 1 of the best-of-three series between the Fever and the Aces are pending.