Caitlin Clark's Fever eliminated from WNBA playoffs after Game 2 loss to Sun
Connecticut moves on to face Minnesota Lynx, who swept Phoenix Mercury
Caitlin Clark did all she could to help the Indiana Fever stave off elimination. It just wasn't enough.
The sensational rookie scored 25 points and had nine assists in Indiana's 87-81 loss to the host Connecticut Sun in Game 2. A much better night than her playoff debut when she had just 11 points on four of 17 shooting.
Clark had a record-breaking season on and off the court. She broke the single-season assist record as well as setting the league's individual game mark with 19. Clark also broke the rookie record for points in a season, although she did do it in 40 games.
Off the court, Clark and her fellow rookies have been a ratings and attendance boon for the WNBA. Despite the blowout loss in Game 1, fans tuned in as the game averaged 1.8 million viewers according to ESPN, making it the WNBA's most watched playoff game since the 2000 Finals. It was the most watched playoff game on ESPN ever despite going up against the NFL.
Six different league television partners set viewership records this year for its highest viewed WNBA game. All of those games included the Fever.
Thanks to Clark, Indiana led the league in attendance both at home and on the road. The Fever averaged 17,036 at home and over 15,000 on the road. Four teams moved home games to bigger arenas when Indiana came to town to accommodate more fans.
Lynx 101, Mercury 88
Napheesa Collier scored 42 to tie a WNBA playoff record for points in a game, and the Minnesota Lynx swept the Phoenix Mercury 101-88 on Wednesday night.
Collier tied Breanna Stewart and Angel McCoughtry for the 42-point record when she made 1 of 2 free throws with 3:18 left in the fourth quarter. It was one of just two misses from the free-throw line in 14 attempts for Collier, who was subbed out with 58.3 seconds left.
WATCH | Collier ties WNBA playoff record for points in a game:
Collier, who scored a career-high 38 points in Game 1, became the first player in WNBA history with 38-plus points in back-to-back playoff games. She also set a WNBA record for the most points (80) through the first two games of a playoff series. Collier reached 38 points in Game 2 with 5:55 left in the fourth.
Canadian forward Bridget Carleton chipped in 12 points, four rebounds and four assists for the Lynx.
Minnesota plays again on Sunday against Connecticut.
