Fever are closer to missing WNBA playoffs than being title contenders 

Not long ago, it felt like the Indiana Fever had turned a corner, even without Caitlin Clark, who is still out due to injury.

The Fever have played more games without Clark than with her this season. The second-year superstar has played in just 13 of 34 regular-season games.

Kelsey Mitchell, who leads the WNBA in total points, and former No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston have kept the Fever in playoff contention. 

Until recently, they were among the contenders for a top-four finish. But after two consecutive losses, as well as four of their last five, including one to the Washington Mystics on Friday, Indiana is closer to missing the WNBA playoffs than hosting a first-round series.

The Fever are just two games behind Phoenix and Las Vegas, the two teams currently tied for fourth place. Yet, Indiana also leads the ninth-place Los Angeles Sparks, a team that owns the tiebreaker over it, by just 1.5 games.

Kelsey Plum and the Sparks also have a 3-0 record against Indiana, so they have the tiebreaker. Indiana is 8-5 with Clark this season. The Fever are 11-10 without her. 

There's no clear timetable for Clark's return. She's getting closer, but a date hasn't been set. 

Yet, Indiana is running out of time. There are 10 games left on the schedule. Eight of them are against teams in playoff contention. Three of those games are against the Minnesota Lynx, the team with the best record in the WNBA.

After Sunday's game against the Connecticut Sun, who have the worst record in the league, the next two for Indiana are against the Lynx. There are also pivotal games against Seattle and Los Angeles, two teams that, along with Indiana, are separated by just 1.5 games.

When Clark does return, she'll need to find her form quickly because Indiana is losing any margin for error. That's why Sunday's game is a must-win. 

With the difficulty of the schedule, winning on the road against the Sun isn't an option. It's something Indiana has to do, or risk losing its grip even further on one of the WNBA's final playoff spots.