The Indiana Fever’s injury report reads like a movie’s end credits. It is long, relentless, and just when you think it’s over, another name flashes across the screen. The recent new name on the screen was Odyssey Sims, who exited in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Lynx. A staggering 6 players appear on the report, with Sims listed as probable. It’s a dire situation, but the Fever aren’t ready to give up just yet. “We gotta play free, we gotta play with no pressure, but we f—ing fight. Live that resilience every f—ing day, and we will accomplish what we want to accomplish.” White told her team after their comeback win against Connecticut. Their hopes could potentially be quashed by the new entrant of the WNBA, the Golden State Valkyries. 

Caitlin Clark and Co. came into the season with championship aspirations. It was supposed to be their two years of No.1 picks and development evolving into a team that dominates. The fate has played spoilsport to their plans, but the Fever is in the hunt regardless. However, their spirit and resilience could prove worthless when it comes to the hard reality. They currently stand at 6th place in the standings with a 19-17 record, and multiple teams, including the Valkyries, are hot at their heels. 

NBC Sports reporter Natalie Esquiere revealed the critical nature of the Fever’s next game against the Lynx. She wrote, “Playoff implications today will affect the teams in the bottom half of the top 8 . Seattle moves up to 6 with a win, Fever loss.” The Storm go up against the Washington Mystics, considering the young side has won only 3 out of their last 10. They will likely improve to 20-18 

When it comes to Fever, they go up against league leaders Minnesota Lynx. Kelsey Mitchell and Co. ended up losing 90-95 in their last match-up, even after Lexie Hull was playing out of her skin. If the Fever loses to the Lynx, they will move down to No.7 with a 19-18 record.  That is not the only threat for Stephanie White’s side, as Esquire further wrote, “Fever loss, Valks win would drop Fever to 8. They’d have same record, but Valks own h2h tiebreaker.” 

The Valkyries go up against the Dallas Wings, who have already been eliminated. While the Valkyries are on a three-game losing streak, they have split the series with Dallas 1-1. That game is pretty 50-50, but in the scenario that Natalie Nakase’s side comes out on top, they will move up to number 7 while Fever drops down to number 8. 

It will be a huge win for the Valkyries, who have sold out the Chase Center all season long. The franchise is still practically a baby, but it holds huge promise, being the highest valued brand in the league at $500 million. Qualifying for the playoffs, which seemed like a heartfelt dream at the beginning of the season, could turn into reality. While it will be a boost for the Valkyries, the Fever’s hopes come into threat at No.8. 

The Sparks will continue with their catch-up game at 17-18 with just 2 wins away in this scenario. In addition to that, the Fever will still face the Lynx one last time in their final regular-season game. Both have the remaining games with around the same difficulty level, including their clash against each other. That game’s importance will skyrocket if the Valkyries solidify their position above Fever. Despite the major hurdles ahead for Stephanie White’s side, ESPN has different opinions on their future. 

ESPN Still Bets On Indiana In Their Playoff Race

ESPN is out with an anti-Indiana Fever agenda. That is not my take, but it is one of the public opinions. That comes from a series of incidents that have convinced a group of fans. When the Fever won the Commissioners Cup, ESPN already had a video titled “FULL REACTION: Lynx Dominate Fever to win Commissioner’s Cup | The Wrap Up” before the game even finished. 

Analyst Elle Duncan criticised the new fanbase that Clark brought, saying, “The worst part of all this is the new fans are sucking the life out of the WNBA right now. It’s just the truth.” Other than these incidents, there have been minor mistakes regarding Fever, which have angered them further. However, when it comes to their playoff hopes, they are backing the Fever to make it.

The media house released an article on August 21 that looked at which team has the best chances for the postseason. When it came to the Fever, they had the same question as the fans. They wondered whether “injuries will finally catch up to Indiana and the Fever won’t make the playoffs.” While they accept the need for Caitlin Clark’s return, Alexa Phillipou backs the experience of Shey Peddy and Odyssey Sims. Phillippou  concluded with a prediction, writing, “It won’t be easy, and it might go down to the wire, but we project the Fever to still find a way to eke into the playoffs.” 

Even their power index gives Fever a 92.1% chance as opposed to the Golden State Valkyries, who have a 61.2%. The injuries have impacted Fever’s chances, as that number stood at 99.2% earlier in the season. Now, their semifinal chances stand at 30.1% which is not as slim as some might consider. However, the fans should take these numbers with a grain of salt as ESPN has already been criticised for its approximate return date for Caitlin Clark.