probably of The featured matchup today is the Connecticut Sun hosting Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever in the opening game of the WNBA playoffs. There's a lot to see in this game, including Clark's postseason debut, a fast-paced offense versus an elite defense, and an all-star lineup that includes Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aaliyah Boston, Alyssa Thomas, and Breonna Jones. The Sun are no strangers to playoff appearances, while the Fever are making their first appearance since 2016, but that won't matter once the action begins. Caitlin Clark's postseason career will begin at Mohegan Sun Arena, the same venue where her regular season career began.
SunFever Playoff Schedule:
Game 1 will be Sunday, September 22nd at 3pm in Connecticut (broadcast on ABC)
Game 2 will be in Connecticut on Wednesday, September 25th at 7:30pm (broadcast on ABC).
Game 3, if necessary, will be played in Indiana on Friday, Sept. 27 (time TBA, broadcast on ESPN2).
Regular season series: Connecticut wins 3-1
Players to watch:
Sun: Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, Breonna Jones, DiJonai Carrington
Fever: Kaitlyn Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aaliyah Boston, Lexi Halle
Forecast: Sun within 2 days (or heat within 3 days).
This series will probably be the hardest to predict of the first-round series, as the Suns are the better team this season and are far more experienced (and better defensively), but the Fever have the better record since the Olympics and have two of the most in-form guards in the game (Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark are the second and third-leading scorers in the league, respectively, since the Olympics).
Indiana also found something in starter Lexi Hull, who was a threat defensively and finished this season second in the league in 3-point shooting percentage. WNBAAliyah Boston looked like a different player at the end of the season compared to how she was at the beginning of the season.
Leading all of this was Caitlin Clark, the all-time WNBA leader in assists in a season and a game. Clark is the arguable Rookie of the Year, breaking countless records in her first year in the WNBA and somehow exceeding the lofty expectations placed on her. It remains to be seen how her regular season success will translate into the postseason.
Photo by Michael Hickey/NBAE via Getty Images
The Suns' defense is one of the best in the game, with Di'Jonai Carrington, Ty Harris and Marina Mabry all performing admirably on that end. Veronica Barton He will come off the bench, and with the way Mitchell and Clark have played, the Fever backcourt will be tough to contain, regardless of how many defenders there are, but the Sun have as good a chance as anyone to slow down the Fever.
“They just play hard. They do a lot of ball screen stuff, they set traps,” Caitlin Clark said. “They just come at us aggressively. Their whole team knows what to do. They play smart.”
The Fever still has a poor defense and will have a hard time against a veteran Sun team that features six players averaging double figures in scoring in DeWanna Bonner (15 ppg), Marina Mabry (14.9 ppg), Breonna Jones (13.7 ppg), Di'Jonai Carrington (12.7 ppg), Alyssa Thomas (10.6 ppg) and Tayshia Harris (10.5 ppg).
Connecticut continues to struggle offensively, but they have another solution to their woes since acquiring Mabrey midseason. Mabrey has shot a team-best 42.4% from three-point range since joining the Sun and will be a big part of the team moving forward as they look to win their first WNBA title.
Things will get tough for Connecticut if they lose one of the two games at Mohegan. Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis makes for an incredibly lively playoff environment, and Indiana has enjoyed the enthusiasm of that crowd all season. If the Suns split the first two games, Indiana will be on their home court (and momentum) heading into a decisive Game 3.
Big question: Who will come out on top in the battle between Aaliyah Boston and Breonna Jones?
Both All-Star big men are enjoying impressive individual seasons, with Boston averaging 14 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this year and Jones averaging 13.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Whoever comes out on top in this matchup will be key to the outcome. The last time these teams met, the Fever won by four points, with Jones managing just two points and one rebound in 30 minutes, while Boston finished with 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds. For the Suns to win, Breonna Jones will need to make more of an impact, as she has done all season.
