ESPN reports that the New York Liberty, leading the league, are currently the top contenders for the championship this season. They are closely pursued by the defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, whose experience is anticipated to be crucial in their quest for a third straight title.
ESPN also observed that the Indiana Fever, currently ranked seventh with a 13-15 record, are on track to claim one of the eight playoff spots. However, Caitlin Clark and her team are not anticipated to be serious contenders for the championship this season.
ESPN senior writer Michael Voepel explained, “We currently rank the Fever seventh because transitioning from a seven-season playoff drought to a championship is a significant leap, especially with stars like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston in their first and second WNBA seasons, respectively. However, the growing excitement around the team indicates that they’re making progress, which is a crucial first step.”The article mentions that the Clark-led Fever have recovered from a “challenging first month” of the season. They have won 10 of their last 15 games, including significant wins against the Liberty and the Phoenix Mercury, among others.
Despite their recent success, the Fever’s lack of postseason experience could be a major disadvantage. Even though Clark has made a notable impact in her rookie season, she remains inexperienced in the playoffs. ESPN believes that Clark may not yet have the depth of experience needed to guide Indiana to a championship in her debut year.
Given what we’ve seen from the former Iowa standout so far, it might be premature to entirely rule out Clark and the Fever.
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