The Indiana Fever entered the season with very real title hopes, as Caitlin Clark was expected to take the next step and cement herself as one of the very best players in the WNBA, leading Indiana in the process.
Instead, Indianapolis can't escape the injury bug. Haliburton tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals and will miss all of next season. Anthony Richardson missed the Indianapolis Colts' minicamp with a nagging shoulder injury, and Clark has missed the last nine games with a groin injury.
As a result, the Fever are a mediocre 9-9, although it's not for lack of effort, as in their most recent 89-87 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, both Natasha Howard and Aliyah Boston posted at least 20 points.
Tyrese Haliburton was in the building for the close loss, as he is yet to leave Indiana for the offseason and a well-earned vacation.
The Fever were 5-4 this season with Clark in the lineup and are 4-5 without her, although even when she was healthy, she was not at the same level of dominance as last year. Her scoring numbers are down slightly from her rookie campaign, and her shooting percentages are way down; she made only 29.5 percent of her shots from deep despite taking 8.7 3s per game.
While growing pains are to be expected, the Fever are only a game ahead of the Washington Mystics for the last spot in the playoffs, and the Las Vegas Aces, tied at 9-9 with the Fever, boast an elite veteran roster and could very easily go on a run.
Clark is expected to remain out for at least a few more games, and when she returns, Haliburton and the rest of her fans will need her to be at her absolute best if the Fever wants to keep their season alive.
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