Fever, WNBA storylines to follow in second half of season

After a month-long break for the Olympics, WNBA action is set to resume Thursday. 

Here are three storylines to follow in the second half of the season:

Will the Indiana Fever continue their strong play?

Despite a 2-9 start, Indiana (11-15) looked like a playoff team before the start of the Olympics break. Eleven games in 20 days to start the season was brutal but the team eventually found a way to make it work. However, consistency will be the focus in the second half of the season, according to Fever point guard Caitlin Clark. Clark, Aliyah Boston, NaLyssa Smith and Kelsey Mitchell have been as productive (59.8 ppg combined) as any foursome in the league but Indiana needs more from its role players.

A weaker schedule to end the season should help the Fever surpass last season’s win total. Indiana was 13-27 in 2023. During the early-season struggles, Fever head coach Christie Sides repeatedly said that her team simply needed more practice time together. Indiana had plenty of that over the break as Kristy Wallace (bronze medal with Australia) was the only player who competed in Paris.

Will the added time together pay dividends as the group looks to secure its first playoff berth since 2016?

Which teams will grab the final playoff spots?

WNBA teams on the fringe of making the playoffs cannot afford slow starts in the second half of the season. The playoffs are set to begin near the end of September, which leaves little margin for error.

Phoenix (13-12), Indiana (11-15) and Chicago (10-14) would be the No. 6-8 seeds if the season ended today. But how will the Sky play after trading Marina Mabrey (14.0 ppg) to Connecticut on July 17?

Atlanta has lost eight consecutive games and sits at 7-17. Los Angeles (6-18), Washington (6-19) and Dallas (6-19) are at the bottom of the league standings. 

Who will win WNBA Rookie of the Year?

Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese?

It is Clark’s race to lose, according to FanDuel sportsbook. She is the betting favorite at -2000. Reese of the Chicago Sky is second at +700.

Clark was named WNBA Rookie of the Month for July, averaging 20.3 points, 12.5 assists and 6.3 rebounds in six games. She recorded the first-ever rookie triple-double July 6 against the New York Liberty, who sit at the top of the league standings. Clark finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists in the 83-78 home win.

She dished out 19 assists in the Fever’s final game before the break -- a WNBA record for a single game.

Reese leads the league in doubles-doubles with 17, which is two more than Las Vegas Aces’ star A’ja Wilson. Wilson is the MVP favorite at -3000. Reese’s 15 consecutive double-doubles set a WNBA record. She averaged 15.3 points and 13.2 rebounds during the stretch. It came to an end July 13 against the Liberty as Reese finished with eight points and 16 rebounds.

As the season winds down, it will be interesting to see how the rookies play with fresh legs. 

Notes: The WNBA trade deadline is Tuesday. The regular season ends Sept. 19 with the playoffs scheduled to begin three days later on Sept. 22. … The last possible date for the WNBA Finals is Oct. 20. … The 2025 WNBA All-Star Game will be held in Indianapolis for the first time ever, the WNBA announced Thursday morning. The 2024 WNBA All-Star game had 3.44 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA All-Star game in league history.

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