INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa's own Caitlin Clark has already had an outstanding rookie year in the WNBA, but it's not over yet.
Clark and the Indiana Fever will soon head to the WNBA playoffs, marking the first time since 2016 the franchise has reached postseason play.
Clark, who is a favorite to win WNBA Rookie of the Year, has already made league history. In her most recent game against the Dallas Wings, Clark set the rookie record for most points in a season. Before that, Clark also set the WNBA's single-season record for assists.
Whether you're rooting for Clark and the Indiana Fever or any of the other teams, here's what to know about the WNBA playoffs.
How do the WNBA playoffs work?
Eight out of 12 WNBA teams will participate in the playoffs. Each team is seeded based on its record throughout the regular season. With games still left to be played, that means there could still be some shifting based on each team's final performance.
During the first round, teams will play a best-of-three series against their opponents. The four teams that advance will move to the semifinals, which follows a best-of-five format.
The two teams that remain will face off in the finals, which also is decided by best-of-five games.
The first round of the WNBA playoffs begins on Sunday, Sept. 22, just a few short days after the Fever's final regular season game. The WNBA playoffs ends on Sunday, Oct. 20 at the latest.
More on the playoffs schedule later...
Who will the Indiana Fever play in the playoffs?
Based on current standings, the Indiana Fever are likely to meet No. 3 Connecticut Sun in the first round of playoffs. The Connecticut Sun are 27-11 on the season and have faced the Fever four times this season, leading the young team 3-1.
There are some other possibilities headed into WNBA playoffs, however. The Sun are two games below the Las Vegas Aces (25-13) and two above the Minnesota Lynx (29-9). Either of those teams could move up in the rankings to ultimately face the Fever.
The tiebreaker for playoff seeding is record in head-to-head matchups.
WNBA standings
As of Sept. 17, here are the WNBA standings:
- New York Liberty (31-7)
- Minnesota Lynx (29-9)
- Connecticut Sun (27-11)
- Las Vegas Aces (25-13)
- Seattle Storm (24-14)
- Indiana Fever (20-19)
- Phoenix Mercury (18-20)
- Washington Mystics (13-25)
- Chicago Sky (13-25)
- Atlanta Dream (13-25)
- Dallas Wings (9-30)
- Los Angeles Sparks (7-31)
Note: The teams in bold have already clinched a playoffs berth as of Tuesday, Sept. 17.
WNBA playoffs schedule
While teams for each matchup haven't been finalized yet, the WNBA has released a preliminary playoffs schedule here. As of Sept. 17, no game times have been released.
FIRST ROUND
Sunday, Sept. 22
- Matchup #1, Game 1
- Matchup #2, Game 1
- Matchup #3, Game 1
- Matchup #4, Game 1
Tuesday, Sept. 24
- Matchup #1, Game 2
- Matchup #2, Game 2
Wednesday, Sept. 25
- Matchup #3, Game 2
- Matchup #4, Game 2
Thursday, Sept. 26
- Matchup #1, Game 3
- Matchup #2, Game 3
Friday, Sept. 27
- Matchup #3, Game 3
- Matchup #4, Game 3
SEMIFINALS
Sunday, Sept. 29
- Matchup #1, Game 1
- Matchup #2, Game 1
Tuesday, Oct. 1
- Matchup #1, Game 2
- Matchup #2, Game 2
Friday, Oct. 4
- Matchup #1, Game 3
- Matchup #2, Game 3
Sunday, Oct. 6
- Matchup #1, Game 4*
- Matchup #2, Game 4*
Tuesday, Oct. 8
- Matchup #1, Game 5*
- Matchup #2, Game 5*
*If necessary
FINALS
Thursday, Oct. 10
- Game 1
Sunday, Oct. 13
- Game 2
Wednesday, Oct. 16
- Game 3
Friday, Oct. 18
- Game 4*
Sunday, Oct. 20
- Game 5*
*If necessary