The Indiana Fever’s first playoff game since 2016 didn’t go as expected.
Caitlin Clark and her team struggled with their shooting on Sunday and were defeated by the veteran Connecticut Sun in Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round series.
The visiting Indiana team is fully aware of the challenge ahead in Game 2 on Wednesday, recognizing the significant advantage Connecticut holds in playoff experience.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Cassandra Negley:
Four of the five Fever starters have less than three years of WNBA experience. Despite their successful college basketball careers, they entered the first-round series with no WNBA playoff experience, including seven-year veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell.
Caitlin Clark, fresh off consecutive Final Four appearances, mentioned on Tuesday that the intensity, pressure, and win-or-go-home situation are similar to college, but different as a rookie in the pros.
“It’s a learning curve for me, too,” Clark stated. “This is my first playoff experience. For many of us on this team, it’s our first playoff. We are all navigating through it together and learning. It’s hard to predict what to expect, given that many of us are new to this.”
The Fever have an opportunity on Wednesday evening to stay alive and extend Clark’s remarkable rookie season. However, they must improve their shooting, assert dominance in transition, and match the Sun’s intensity.
