Caitlin Clark didn’t feel like partying on her off day after the Fever clinched a spot in the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2016 on Tuesday.
The Fever (18-16) did not play Tuesday, but secured a postseason seat after the Aces’ 90-71 victory over the Sky, and Phoenix’s 74-66 win against Atlanta. Both games were 10 pm starts EST and didn’t end till after midnight.
The Fever are in sixth place in the league, and eight teams qualify for the playoffs.
“I stay up late, so it’s not really unusual. But yeah, I was up. I did see it,” Clark, who recorded her second triple-double of her rookie season in Wednesday’s win over the Sparks, said when asked if she watched the games live.
“My reaction was I turned [the TV] off and went to sleep. I didn’t even check my phone until the next morning and that’s kinda when I had the most messages and stuff.”
Clark, 22, made it clear that she’s not satisfied with just making the playoffs.
“It’s definitely a big moment for this place, but at the same time I came in with the expectation that this was what was going to happen,” the All-Star guard said. “For me, this isn’t like, a party. Yeah it’s great, I feel it’s a great accomplishment but there is so much more left to be done.
“Yeah, we made the playoffs, there are six regular season games [left]. “I’m not just happy to be in the playoffs. I think we have the type of team that can win and advance. One game at a time.
“So I think that’s what it is for all of us. Celebrate it, enjoy it. It is really huge for this organization, not having been to the playoffs since Tamika [Catchings] was here [in 2016]. So it’s been a long time.”
Clark, who finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in the 93-86 win over Los Angeles, explained that she’s happy the Fever can play more freely and relaxed in the final stretch of the regular season.
“But for us, yeah we accomplished that, but there is still so much more left on the table of what we can do,” she said. “We can position ourselves better.
“We get six [games] at home to have a lot of fun. These are ones that are very winnable for us. I think just going one day at a time, that has done so well for us to get to this point. I think that should still be the focus.”
Lakers star LeBron James praised Clark after the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft notched her second triple-double of the season.
“HI HATERS!!!!!! I love it,” James wrote on his Instagram Story, including a photo of Clark’s triple double stat line.
It came after WNBA legends Nancy Lieberman and Sheryl Swoopes publicly feuded over Clark earlier this week, which led to the end of their friendship.
Clark also said she’s happy for veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell, who’s averaging 19 points per game this season, to make the playoffs of the first time in her seven-year career with Indiana.
The Fever face the Lynx (24-9) at home Saturday.
