Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever Involved in Unwanted Development Before WNBA Playoffs

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever suffered a momentum-crushing loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday.

by Paolo Songco

Sep 24, 2026

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) speaks with ESPN reporter Holly Rowe.

Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever suffered a heavy loss on Thursday against the Minnesota Lynx, 86-66. This was Indiana’s last regular-season game, and the result has a significant impact on the team heading into the WNBA playoffs.

Clark finished with two points on 1-of-12 shooting, easily her worst game of the season. She went 0-of-7 from three-point territory, adding four rebounds, three assists and a steal in 18 minutes of action.

The Fever entered Thursday’s matchup fifth in the standings. However, the loss to the No. 1 seed Lynx dropped Indiana to the No. 6 seed.

The Washington Mystics were also in action on Thursday night. They defeated the Chicago Sky, 101-93. The Fever and the Mystics have finished with an identical 28-16 record. However, Washington owns the tiebreaker after winning the season series against Indiana, 2-1.

The Mystics have now climbed to the No. 5 seed and will face the fourth-placed Atlanta Dream in the first round.

Thursday’s 20-point loss marks the Fever’s worst loss of the season. Indiana had won four of its last five games before Thursday, and this blowout hurts the momentum the team built heading into the playoffs.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).

John Jones-Imagn Images

To make matters worse, the Fever lost Aliyah Boston and Tyasha Harris to injury during Thursday’s game. Boston was ruled out in the third quarter due to a right lower-leg injury. Harris, meanwhile, was carried off the court in the same quarter after suffering an apparent leg injury.

As of this writing, the Fever have not provided the full details of the injuries. Boston and Harris’ playoff status remains unclear.

As the No. 6 seed, the Fever will face either the Las Vegas Aces or the Golden State Valkyries in the opening round. Both teams are in action on Thursday night. Game 1 of the first-round series is on Sunday, with the Fever playing on the road.