Fever extend winning streak without Caitlin Clark

It's still not clear when Caitlin Clark will return from injury to the Indiana Fever. What is clear, though, is that the Fever have found their groove without Clark, winning their fifth straight game Sunday in Seattle.

It was the second win over a top-six team in the WNBA standings within a week, after a win over the Phoenix Mercury in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

For the second time this season, Indiana beat the Storm, this time in a 78-74 contest.

Natasha Howard was a force with 21 points, five rebounds and five assists. Sophie Cunningham was on her game, too, hitting 4-of-5 shots from beyond the arc.

Kelsey Mitchell didn't have her best day (nine points on 3-of-16 shooting), but Aliyah Boston notched a double-double with 16 points and 12 boards.

Most importantly, Indiana moved into sole possession of fifth place in the WNBA with the win, still just 1.5 games behind the New York Liberty for second place.

Clark, the most well-known player in the league, has missed 17 games. The Fever won the Commissioner's Cup championship against Minnesota, which has the WNBA's best record, on the road.

Now they have won five in a row. 

With or without Clark, Indiana has beaten every team in front of it in the standings at least once. The Fever have the fourth-best offensive rating in the WNBA, coupled with the seventh-best defensive rating.

Defense has been the name of the game recently. Phoenix scored 101 in its loss to Indiana, but the other four victims during the Fever's five-game winning streak have been held under 80 points.

With two All-Stars, Howard, Cunningham, and a mid-season find in Aari McDonald, the Fever have some interesting pieces. They also have depth.

What they don't have, without Clark, is enough star power to win the WNBA championship. 

Knocking off Minnesota or New York in a five or seven-game series will require Clark being healthy and at the top of her game.

There's plenty of time for that to happen. Indiana is making the right move by being cautious. This team is on track to make the WNBA playoffs.

What it does when it gets there, that's going to depend a lot on Caitlin Clark.