Fever Have Chance to Strengthen Playoff Position vs Wings
There are several interesting implications for the Indiana Fever's road game against the Dallas Wings on Thursday.
The biggest one is that the Fever can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a victory. Indiana is guaranteed to make the playoffs, but them getting a win against Dallas will make for one less thing the franchise and fan base need to think about for the rest of the regular season.
Plus, the Fever beating the Wings would also mean they won the season series, and therefore would secure a seeding tiebreaker in the postseason. Granted, the Fever are currently four games ahead of the Wings in the standings right now, so it isn't likely that a tiebreaker will become necessary unless the Fever go on a losing skid and the Wings can right the ship. But it's still good for the Fever to have it, just in case.
Perhaps most importantly is that a victory on Thursday would keep Indiana in third place in the WNBA standings. Their current 24-12 record puts them a half-game ahead of the 24-13 Las Vegas Aces, which means a win would keep them ahead regardless of whether the Aces defeat the Connecticut Sun tonight.
This, combined with Indiana having a tiebreaker over Las Vegas, could give them more breathing room. It would also mean Indiana is one game away from the No. 2-seeded Golden State Valkyries, who currently have a 25-10 record.
Fever Facing Wings Without Star Rookie Azzi Fudd
Indiana won't be playing Dallas' full complement of players on Thursday night, as standout rookie Azzi Fudd (who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft) needs season-ending arthroscopic surgery on her right knee.
This is a tough blow for Dallas, as Fudd is a lethal shooter who can carry their offense when she's healthy and firing on all cylinders. And the Wings will need every weapon they have in a potential shootout against the Fever, who are still on track to be the best offense in WNBA history this season.
Fudd is also an above-average defender and likely would have spent much of the game matched up against Kelsey Mitchell (so long as Mitchell is active in the game). This adds another Fever advantage, especially since Mitchell is on a historic scoring run as of late.
Perhaps Fudd would not have been enough to slow the Fever down anyways, but not having her active adds more adversity for Dallas.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Grant Young covers women’s basketball for Women’s Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI. His coverage centers on league trends and the growth of women’s basketball, both on and off the court. He also creates digital content focused on the sport’s biggest moments and personalities.
Follow GrvntYoung