Indiana Fever Clinches WNBA Record-Tying 10th Consecutive Playoff Appearance

The Indiana Fever (15-17) has clinched a berth in the 2014 WNBA Playoffs presented by Boost Mobile, by virtue of its victory this evening over the New York Liberty. It is the Fever’s 10th consecutive playoff berth and its 11th in 15 years. The Fever’s 10 straight appearances (2005-14) match the existing WNBA record set by the Seattle Storm (2004-13).

Beginning Friday, August 15 at 10:00 a.m., tickets for the Eastern Conference Semifinals will be available to the public at FeverBasketball.com, the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets. Fans who commit to a new Fever MVP membership as 2015 season ticket holders will receive a pair of complimentary seats for the Fever’s first home playoff game. Fans can register at FeverBasketball.com.

The Eastern Conference Semifinals begin Thursday, Aug. 21. Indiana is hopeful of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, Aug. 29-Sept. 2, for a fourth straight year. Final seeding, pairings, dates and times will not be determined until the conclusion of the regular season, Aug. 17.

Below are facts about the Fever and the upcoming WNBA Playoffs.

• The 2014 playoff spot means 11 postseason appearances in the Indiana’s 15-year history. The Fever has reached the Eastern Conference Finals in six of the past nine years, with trips to the WNBA Finals in 2009 & 2012. Indiana won the WNBA title in 2012 with a 3-1 series win over the Minnesota Lynx.
• Lin Dunn will make her eighth playoff appearance overall as a WNBA head coach. In what will be her final WNBA playoff appearance, she now owns the league’s longest active playoff coaching streak with seven straight appearances (2008-14).
• Dunn has more playoff victories (20) than any female coach in WNBA history. She is 20-18 (.526) in the postseason, trailing just Bill Laimbeer (27), Michael Cooper (25) and Mike Thibault (21) in playoff victories. She is tied with Van Chancellor and John Whisenant.
• Despite playing without perennial All-Star Tamika Catchings for the first 17 games of the season, Indiana has steadily risen in the standings to reach the playoffs for a 10th straight season. Catchings has appeared in every playoff game in franchise history.
• Catchings has appeared in every playoff game in franchise history (51). She boasts more playoff steals and free throws than any player in league history, and enters the 2014 playoffs second in all-time rebounds and third in points scored.
• Five players remain from the club’s 2012 championship team – Catchings, Karima Christmas, Briann January, Erlana Larkins and Shavonte Zellous.

Indiana enters the final weekend of play in a three-way tie with the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics, and hosts Chicago on Saturday for Fan Appreciation Night presented by the Hoosier Lottery (7:00 p.m.). It also will be the final Fever regular-season home game coached by Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lin Dunn. A special tribute to Dunn will take place prior to the game. Fans are encouraged to be in their seats before 7:00. Saturday’s game also is a Lucas Oil Family Night presented by the Indy Star. Beginning at $20, Family Night tickets include a Fever t-shirt with a voucher for complimentary hot dog, chips and Pepsi product.