The Indiana Fever felt the absence of Caitlin Clark last week.
Indiana Fever Move in ESPN’s Power Rankings After Caitlin Clark Update originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Indiana Fever (18-14) have stayed in a strong position to make the WNBA playoffs without superstar guard Caitlin Clark in the lineup, but doubts are creeping in after an up-and-down week in Indianapolis.
- Negatives — Losses to the Los Angeles Sparks and the Phoenix Mercury were compounded by season-ending injuries to Aari McDonald (torn ACL) and Sydney Colson (broken foot), the Fever's other two point guards besides Clark.
- Positives — Guards Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull filled in admirably on Saturday against the Chicago Sky. Indiana beat struggling Chicago for the fourth time this season to end the week on a positive note. The next day, they signed a new point guard in Odyssey Sims.
The lone win was not enough to prevent shorthanded Indiana from falling in the latest ESPN power rankings, and Clark will not be able to save them just yet.
Momentum Changing as Indiana Fever Drop in ESPN Rankings
Despite ranking fifth in the WNBA standings on Tuesday morning, the Fever dropped to sixth in ESPN's WNBA power rankings, due to their "decimated" roster. Last week, they came in at No. 4, their highest ranking of the 2025 season.
The Fever were leapfrogged by the Las Vegas Aces (No. 5) and the Phoenix Mercury (No. 4). The Atlanta Dream (No. 3), New York Liberty (No. 2) and Minnesota Lynx (No. 1) rounded up the top three. The Lynx held onto the top spot after beating the Liberty head-to-head on Sunday.
Indiana's two-spot drop points to the changing momentum in the top half of the standings. On Sunday, Aces star A'ja Wilson reminded everyone why she is the reigning MVP with the first 30-point, 20-rebound game in WNBA history. They have won six of their last seven games.
The Mercury have caught fire since the returns of Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper from injury, and their head-to-head win over the Fever on Thursday served as both an emotional boost and a two-game swing in the standings.
🚨 WNBA STANDINGS UPDATE 🚨
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 11, 2025
▪️ MIN holds the top spot at 27-5
▪️ NYL sits at #2 and ATL at #3 — both tied at 20-11
Download the WNBA App for more! pic.twitter.com/4T8og74VwZ
From a Fever perspective, there is a huge difference between being the fourth-best team and the sixth-best team in the WNBA. The top eight teams in the standings make the playoffs, with the top four seeds getting home-court advantage in a best-of-three series in the first round. Indiana is 10-6 at home this season.
With the stakes rising and their roster getting thinner, the Fever are "reaching the point of needing Clark back sooner than later," ESPN's Kendra Andrews said.
Update on Caitlin Clark’s Recovery
With less than a month left in the regular season, there is still no defined timetable for Clark’s return from her right groin injury. Head coach Stephanie White provided a sobering update on Clark’s recovery after practice on Monday.
"No return to practice as of late,” White said. “She’s been able to get a little more in her full-court running. You know, with all her body weight, it’s really building up from doing minimal to then building some endurance to do longer periods of time. She’s been able to do a little bit more on the court in terms of how she moves. But not into practice yet, no.”
Caitlin Clark has not yet returned to practice, Stephanie White says.
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) August 11, 2025
She is able to do a bit more in the running and individual workouts aspects, but no practice with the full team yet. pic.twitter.com/EDw1Dz85iy
The update on Clark offers little hope for an immediate return, since she would need a period of time practicing with the team in full before being considered to return to a WNBA game.
In 13 games this season, Clark has averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds. Indiana has an 8-5 record in those games, compared to 10-9 without Clark in the regular season.
What's Next for the Indiana Fever?
The Fever have a favorable three-game week followed by an extended break. They have back-to-back home games against the Dallas Wings (8-24) on Tuesday and the Washington Mystics (14-17) on Friday.
They travel to face the last-place Connecticut Sun (5-26) on Sunday, and then they have four days off before their next game at home against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday, Aug. 22.
Their injury circumstances have contributed to a fall in the power rankings, but this manageable stretch gives the Fever a good opportunity to integrate Sims into the lineup while they await Clark's return.
Related: Indiana Fever Praised for What They Did During National Anthem Against Chicago Sky
Related: New Indiana Fever Point Guard Sends Message to Injured Teammates
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
