Caitlin Clark and the Fever help themselves amid WNBA’s Eastern Conference chaos originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Indiana Fever might have the Las Vegas Aces‘ number.
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For the second time in a week, the Fever turned up at Michelob Ultra Arena and blew out the defending champion Aces. Sunday’s 109-75 win might be the most impressive victory of Indiana’s season — especially as it lifted the Fever (14-10) into first place in the Eastern Conference.
The WNBA’s balance of power certainly rests in the West — the teams with the league’s four best records reside in the other conference. However, the chaos in the East is playing right into the hands of the Fever: an admittedly imperfect team but one whose explosiveness and star power continue to stand out as other contenders stagnate.
MORE: Sophie Cunningham sends clear message about Fever’s biggest problem halfway through season
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Take the Atlanta Dream, for instance. After acquiring Angel Reese in a blockbuster trade, the Dream began this season 12-4 and had the look of a genuine title threat. But Atlanta has lost six of the past seven, and the Dream’s inconsistent offense could be their undoing as they pursue a first-ever championship.
The New York Liberty acquired Satou Sabally in free agency and had dreams of a dominant “Big Four” with Sabally, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart. But neither Ionescu nor Sabally has been fully healthy as yet. After a blazing start, New York has lost three in a row and now sits a disappointing 13-11 — a win-loss record that does not match its talent level.
If the season ended today, the Fever would play the Dallas Wings in the first round of the playoffs, and the winner would square off against the Minnesota Lynx or the Washington Mystics.
Indiana would not be favored to take down Minnesota, but the odds didn’t mean much to the Fever last year when an injury-plagued squad came within a game of the WNBA Finals.
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The factor that could make the difference might well be Clark, who has yet to win a playoff game in her career and tends to shine brightest when the games matter the most.
