ESPN relegated the Indiana Fever’s season-ending showdown with the Las Vegas Aces to ESPN2 – but the teams produced a postseason epic.
The Fever went down 107-98 in overtime of Game 5 to cap a thrilling semifinal series.
The Las Vegas Aces ended the Indiana Fever’s season with a dramatic OT win[/caption]
Fever star Caitlin Clark could only watch on from the benches after being ruled out with injury[/caption]
Injured superstar Caitlin Clark was powerless to prevent the Fever’s season ending without a Finals appearance.
The 23-year-old is suffering from a groin problem and had been ruled out for the entire postseason.
Half of the Fever’s roster was in street clothes for the all important Game 5 on Tuesday as injuries ripped through the camp.
But Indiana took the star-studded Aces to overtime after tying the game 86-86, before Las Vegas eventually sealed their path to the Finals.
Even without Clark, the Fever have been drawing strong TV ratings during the playoff.
Game 2 of the semifinals drew 1.7 million viewers on ESPN, marking the third-largest WNBA second-round playoff audience on record.
While Game 1 of the series averaged 1.4 million viewers on ABC,
Despite the strong numbers, ESPN chose to give preference to the MLB playoff in the timeslot.
Game 5 of Fever-Aces was broadcast on ESPN2, which typically draws fewer viewers than ESPN and ABC.
Despite the broadcast starting late due to the baseball overrunning, fans were in awe of the spectacle on show.
“An incredible WNBA semifinals game on ESPN2 coming down to the last possessions. You should be watching if you like sports!,” wrote one viewer on X.
“Some phenomenal basketball being played between the Fever and Aces. Turn on ESPN2 right now,” said another.
“Fever/Aces on ESPN2 is the place to be right now, absolute dogfight,” added a third.
“They have been an absolute joy to coach,” said Fever coach Stephanie White postgame.
“It’s an incredible group of women, an incredibly connected group.
‘A little more motivation’
Caitlin Clark insists her Paris 2024 snub has made her even more hungry and determined to realize her Olympic dream.
The WNBA rookie sensation was left off the roster for this summer’s Olympics in a shock to many.
Clark will not be in Paris this summer, but she’s keeping her head up
“I think it just gives you something to work for,” Clark said.
“It’s a dream, hopefully one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation.
“You remember that. Hopefully, when four years comes back, I can be there. I’m excited for the girls that are on the team.
“I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could have gone either way of me being on the team or me not being on the team.
“I’m excited for them and I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold.”
“They’re a great example to everybody what it means to just put one foot in front of the other, to persevere, to welcome people into the fold, to not give in to circumstance, to lead with grace and dignity, to sacrifice for a greater good and a common good.
“I’m just I’m so thankful to coach these women, and I’m just thankful for this experience with them.”
“They would not go away,” said relieved Vegas coach Becky Hammon.
“They just would not go away. Just hats off to them.
“I thought they did an unbelievable job all the way around, their roster, their coaching staff.
“They just gas pedaled the whole time.”
