Atlanta Dream Clinch No. 4 Seed, Deliver Bad News to Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever
INDIANAPOLIS — The bad news officially arrived for Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night. The Atlanta Dream defeated the New York Liberty 83-65 at Barclays Center to lock up the No. 4 seed in the WNBA playoffs, meaning the Fever will not have home-court advantage in the first round.
Dream Close Strong, Secure Top Four
Atlanta finished the regular season with a convincing win, improving to 31-13 and tying the franchise record for most wins in a single season. Allisha Gray scored 24 points and Naz Hillmon added 16 as the Dream held the Liberty to just seven points in the second quarter, building a 41-26 halftime lead. Atlanta’s second-quarter defensive effort set a season low for points allowed in a quarter, and the 26 first-half points were also a season best for the Dream defense.
The win means Atlanta has locked up home-court advantage for the first round of the playoffs, where they will host either the Indiana Fever or the Washington Mystics starting Sunday. The Dream went 15-7 at home this season, which will be a significant asset in the postseason.
Fever Lose Shot at Top Four
For the Fever, the result means they can no longer catch the Dream for fourth place. Indiana sits at 28-15, three games behind Atlanta with only one game remaining, and NBC Sports confirmed the Fever “cannot climb into the top four.”
Indiana had hoped to keep its slim home-court hopes alive after a 96-77 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday. In that game, Clark posted 27 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, while Kelsey Mitchell added 20 points and continued to build on her WNBA single-season scoring record. But Atlanta’s win ended those hopes for good.
Fifth-Seed Race Still Alive
While the top-four dream is over, the Fever still need to win Thursday’s regular-season finale to secure the No. 5 seed. The Washington Mystics (27-16) are close behind. If Indiana loses to Minnesota and Washington beats the Chicago Sky, the Mystics would leapfrog the Fever for fifth based on the head-to-head tiebreaker (Washington leads 2-1).
Tuesday’s win wasn’t without concern. Clark criticized the team’s third-quarter play, calling it “a little sloppy,” noting that when Minnesota switched to a zone defense, Indiana’s offensive rhythm stalled. The Fever scored just 14 points in the third while giving up 30. Indiana led by as many as 29 but saw the Lynx bench cut the lead to single digits with a 15-0 run. “We fouled too much and couldn’t get out in transition,” Clark said.
Playoff Picture
Whether the Fever finish fifth or sixth, they will open the playoffs on the road against either the Dream or the Las Vegas Aces. If they hold onto the No. 5 seed, they’ll face Atlanta, a team they split with 2-2 during the regular season. If they fall to sixth, they could draw the Aces or the Golden State Valkyries.
Losing home-court advantage is a real blow for Clark and this young Fever team. Indiana has been strong at home this season, and the support at Gainbridge Fieldhouse has been a major boost. After Tuesday’s win, Clark said, “Thankful for these fans.” But now the playoffs will begin in a hostile environment.
Dream head coach Karl Smesko said after clinching the No. 4 seed: “This was a big win for us. We wanted to make sure we had home-court advantage in the first round, and we got it done.”
The Fever close the regular season Thursday night in Minneapolis against the Lynx. Clark and her team need a win to secure the No. 5 seed and head into the playoffs with momentum.
