Indiana Fever Are Running Out of Season to Salvage

One can only tread water for so long before going under. And though the Indiana Fever have been able to stay afloat all season long despite a myriad of injuries, Tuesday felt like a blow toward the team's chances to keep swimming. Not only did the Fever drop a second consecutive game, this one to the Phoenix Mercury, putting them back in the 8th spot in the standings and lessening the prospects of a playoff guarantee, but the tone around Caitlin Clark's potential injury return also wasn't overly optimistic. It's hard to blame the squad for faltering a bit given the plethora of hardship players who are being relied upon, particularly with even the backups to the team's transcendent star being shelved. Still, for all the fight the Fever have shown, recent wins over the Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks had spurred hope for stronger postseason positioning, perhaps priming Indiana for a timely return from Clark. However, though the star point guard notably took part in some practice action before the contest