Caitlin Clark rookie season over as Indiana Fever suffers heartbreaking WNBA Playoff exit

Caitlin Clark's historic rookie season is over after Indiana Fever was eliminated from the WNBA Playoffs in heartbreaking fashion.

The Fever bounced back from a tough start to the season, led by No.1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year Clark , to make the postseason as the No.6 seed. They faced the Connecticut Sun, but did not even get a chance to play a playoff game at home in Indianapolis after back-to-back losses in Connecticut.

After a 93-69 loss at the weekend in Clark's first-ever playoff game , the Fever entered Game 2 knowing they needed a win to keep the three-game series alive. They got off to a hot start, racing into an early lead only to end up trailing 23-20 by the end of the first quarter.

From that point on, they did not lead again until a 12-2 scoring run to begin the fourth quarter saw them catapult themselves back into contention. Led by Clark's 25 points, it seemed at one stage they would pull off a comeback.

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But Connecticut came up clutch in the closing moments, with Marina Mabrey hitting a huge three with 45.5 seconds remaining to make it a two-score game and DiJonai Carrington nailing two free-throws to go six points up. They eventually closed out an 87-81 win.

After ending the first quarter on top, Connecticut edged further ahead to take a 46-38 lead into the break. They then entered the fourth quarter 61-52 ahead having won each of the first seven quarters contested in the series.

Indiana made it a one-possession game at 70-68 with just under five minutes remaining. And when Clark drained a timely three with just four minutes left, it gave them the lead for the first time since the first quarter after 12-2 scoring run.

But the home team eventually closed out a well-deserved win to end Indiana's season. Four players - Mabrey (17 points), Alyssa Thomas (19 points), DeWanna Bonner (13 points) and Veronica Burton (10 points) scored double figures.

Clark put in a typically dynamic performance, leading her team with 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds. She opened the game with a three-point shot and assist to put Indiana 5-0 up, before getting into a dispute with fellow WNBA All-Star DeWanna Bonner over a no-call on a jump shot.

It was clear both teams recognized what was at stake in a fast-paced and ferocious game that threatened to boil over at times. But, ultimately, a dramatic ending saw Connecticut progress.