As Caitlin Clark goes, so go the Indiana Fever. That was true throughout a remarkable regular season of rookie joy, uplifting achievement and unexpected triumph.
It also was true on Sunday afternoon, when the rough-and-tumble reality of the WNBA postseason came crashing down on a Fever starting five that had never played a second in the playoffs before they stepped onto the court for Game 1 against the formidable and seasoned Connecticut Sun.
For Clark, the day began fabulously. She finished fourth in WNBA voting for Most Valuable Player, an award won appropriately and unanimously by Las Vegas star A’ja Wilson. Clark also collected three honors from the Associated Press: Rookie of the Year, unanimously; All-WNBA First Team and All-Rookie Team.