Cooper WorthDes Moines Register
Sept. 27, 2026, 5:08 a.m. CT
The 2026 WNBA Playoffs are set, and Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever‘s first-round matchup is against the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
Indiana secured the No. 6 seed after closing the regular season with an 86-66 loss to the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx on Sept. 24. Clark was held to a career-low two points on 1-of-12 shooting, while Kelsey Mitchell scored 10 points, ending her league-record streak of 27 consecutive games with at least 20 points. The Fever also lost All-Star Aliyah Boston and reserve guard Ty Harris to injuries.
“At this point, everybody’s record is 0-0. We’re going into the playoffs,” Clark said postgame. “If we sit and sulk about what happened tonight — yeah, it sucks, (but) it is what it is.
Here’s what to know about the WNBA playoffs and the Fever’s postseason path.
When does Caitlin Clark play tonight? Time for Indiana Fever playoff game vs. Las Vegas Aces
Tipoff is at 3 p.m. CT on Sunday, Sept. 27, at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, and fans can watch it on ABC.
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 27
- Time: 3 p.m. CT
- TV: ABC
- Stream: Fubo
What’s the Indiana Fever’s record against the Las Vegas Aces?
Indiana won two of three regular season matchups with Las Vegas in 2026. Clark was sidelined in one of those games and on a minutes restriction in another.
The Fever dropped the most recent matchup against the Aces 86-84 on Aug. 6 in an overtime thriller. Clark, off a minutes restriction, finished with 20 points and eight assists, but also missed two crucial free throws that could have sealed the game in regulation and committed eight turnovers.
Clark’s final turnover came with Indiana up by a point and 10 seconds remaining in overtime, when her pass over four-time MVP A’ja Wilson was deflected, setting up Chelsea Gray’s game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
In the 2025 playoffs, the Fever and Aces met in the semifinals when Indiana, without Clark, pushed the Aces to the brink of overtime in Game 5. The Aces won 107-98 and went on to win the league championship against the Phoenix Mercury, with Wilson winning her second Finals MVP award after averaging 28.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in the series.
2026 WNBA playoff schedule: When do the Fever play next?
Here is the schedule for the Fever’s first-round, best-of-three series against the Aces:
- Game 1: Fever at Aces, 3 p.m. CT, Sunday, Sept. 27
- Game 2: Aces at Fever, 5:30 p.m. CT, Tuesday, Sept. 29
- Game 3 (if necessary): Fever at Aces, TBA, Thursday, Oct. 1
The semifinals begin Oct. 4, with the best-of-five series concluding no later than Oct. 14. The best-of-seven WNBA Finals are scheduled to begin Oct. 17 and finish no later than Oct. 31.
2026 WNBA playoff matchups
Here are the seeded pairings for the first round:
- No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 New York Liberty
- No. 2 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 7 Dallas Wings
- No. 3 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever
- No. 4 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 5 Washington Mystics
2026 WNBA champion betting odds
Here are the WNBA championship odds from DraftKings as of 11 a.m. CT on Friday, Sept. 25:
- MinnesotaLynx: +115
- Las Vegas Aves: +475
- Golden State Valkyries: +600
- Atlanta Dream: +700
- Indiana Fever: +950
- New York Liberty: +1500
- Washington Mystics: +6500
- Dallas Wings: +8000
Caitlin Clark WNBA stats
Here are Clark’s stats ahead of Sunday’s game.
- 2026 (40 games): 22.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 44.6 FG%, 36.1 3PT%
- 2025 (13 games): 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 36.7 FG%, 27.9 3PT%
- 2024 (40 games): 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 41.7 FG%, 34.4 3PT%
IndyStar editor Aaron Ferguson contributed to this report.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
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