After a long stretch where her time at Iowa led directly to her rookie season in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever were eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday night.
The Connecticut Sun advanced to the WNBA semifinals with an 87-81 victory over the Fever, preventing Clark from having an active basketball season for the first time in nearly a year.
The Sun led by nine points entering the fourth quarter, but two tough baskets by Clark brought the game back to life and allowed Indiana to take the lead momentarily.
Clark’s historic run continued as she became the first player in WNBA history to have 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.
Clark played the entire game, finishing with a total of 25 points and adding nine assists and six rebounds.
Caitlin Clark’s rookie WNBA season is over as the Fever were eliminated from the playoffs on Wednesday
Clark will have time off from basketball for the first time in nearly a year following the loss.
Connecticut advances to face the winner of the Minnesota Lynx versus Phoenix Mercury series.
The second-seeded Lynx hold a 1-0 series lead and would have home-field advantage in a semifinal matchup against the Sun.
This will be the sixth consecutive semifinal appearance for the Sun, while the Fever reached the postseason for the first time since 2016 in Clark’s first professional season.
Clark led a comeback for the Fever, who had only won double-digit games in a season twice between 2017 and 2023.
Clark will now have the opportunity to take some time off from basketball, and her next move is unclear until the WNBA begins next season in the spring.
He is likely to have a standing offer to play in the new Unrivaled league, which is set to go live early next year.
Clark should also attract the attention of international teams hoping to secure her services for several months, as many of the WNBA’s elite players have done in the past.
Five different Sun players reached double-digit scores, and each of the seven who were on the court scored eight points or more.
Clark got into an argument with a fan sitting courtside during a heated moment Wednesday.
Clark shoved Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner during the WNBA playoff game
Leading the way for Connecticut were Alyssa Thomas with 19 points and Marina Mabrey with 17.
In the other semifinal, top-seeded New York Liberty will face defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Clark arrived at the Fever’s playoff decider wearing $1,700 worth of Prada items.
And as she made her way to Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Arena, the 22-year-old showed off her new Prada purchases ahead of her most pivotal night in professional basketball so far.
Clark, who was named WNBA Rookie of the Year over the weekend after her sensational debut campaign for the Fever, was seen sporting black sunglasses from the luxury Italian designer valued at around $500.
With Indiana teammate Lexie Hull by her side, she entered the stadium wearing $1,200 black leather slingback pumps.
During the opening minutes of Sun-Fever, Clark had an altercation with DeWanna Bonner, and she later got into an argument with a fan.