This particular season finale means very different things for these two teams. For the Fever, it's a chance to celebrate a landmark campaign that's revolved around the ongoing development of Caitlin Clark. She's the league's newest superstar, and the list of rookie records she's set has almost gotten too long to track.
For the Washington Mystics, though, this game has completely different implications. They're down a single game in the chase for the final WNBA playoff berth, but the way the schedule lays out they still have a very viable chance to sneak into the postseason.
Game Details
Fixture: Indiana Fever vs. Washington Mystics
Date and Time: September 19, 2024 @ 7 PM EST
Location: Entertainment and Sports Arena, Washington DC
Indiana Fever Team Review
The Fever turns their last game against Dallas into a scoring festival, squeaking out a 110-109 win over the Dallas Wings. It was one of those "defense optional" games that featured plenty of offensive heroics, including Caitlin Clark's largest point total of her memorable rookie year as she posted 35.
If they play that kind of game in Washington, though, the Fever could end their season on a sour note. The Mystics beat Indiana in their last meeting by shutting down everyone but Clark, with Kelsey Mitchell basically being the only other contributing scorer with 15. That game was back in July, though, and Mitchell was a different player, so it remains to be seen whether it's a viable formula for success in this one or not.
It wouldn't be the end of the world if Indiana lost, of course. The Fever are focused on the upcoming playoffs--specifically, on their upcoming series, which will almost certainly be with the Connecticut Sun, although there's a small chance they could face the Las Vegas Aces if the Aces can sneak into the three slot. The Sun would have to lose to the Sky for that to happen, though, which is extremely unlikely.
Either way, the Fever will play a tough defensive opponent, so the chances are good they won't want to play an offensive track-meet game to close out what's been a very successful campaign.
Washington Mystics Team Review
The Mystics also enter this one in a state of uncertainty, but they have a much more tenuous formula to get to the postseason. They're currently a game behind the Atlanta Dream for the eighth and final playoff slot, and they're tied with the Sky as well.
There is a way for Washington to sneak in, though. All three teams face demanding opponents in their finale--the Sky get the Sun, while Atlanta faces the New Yok Liberty. On paper, it would be logical to assume that all three teams will lose out, with Atlanta getting in despite their loss.
But the Mystics could upend that scenario with a win, and they beat Indiana in their last game. It's an unlikely possibility, but Washington is at home and the Fever basically have nothing to play for, seed-wise, so it could happen.
The season series between the Mystics and the Dream ended up at 2-2, and the next tie breaker would be each team's record against teams that were over .500. For the sake of simplicity, though, we'll just take a deep breath and keep an eye on tonight's schedule to see how the standings settle.
Who to Watch
Indiana Fever
Based on the Dallas game, as Clark goes, so go the Fever. She got off to a slow start against the Wings, but once she got going, Clark got going. Her style is ideally suited to an up-and-down game, and while allowing the Wings to get over 100 points wasn't ideal, the final results were fun and so was the box score.
The player to watch in this one is Mitchell. Washington beat Indiana last time by holding her to just 15 points, but no one's done that very often lately. The last time it happened was against Seattle on August 18th, so it will be a serious challenge.
Washington Mystics
The player who came up big when the Mystics beat Indiana back in July was Ariel Atkins, so we'll go with her to come through again in this one. Washington is offensively challenged in general with no one averaging over 15 a game, but Atkins and Brittney Sykes are the two best candidates to give the Mystics a shot at a win if they can hold down the fort defensively against Caitlin Clark and company.
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