Caitlin Clark may be sidelined, but her fingerprints are still all over the Indiana Fever‘s postseason run. The Indiana guard, unable to suit up during the first round, has turned into a vocal leader from the bench and, perhaps unintentionally, the source of her team’s newest superstition.
Her all-black Nike Air Force 1s have quickly become the Fever‘s unofficial good luck charm, embraced by teammates after a stunning road win that punched their ticket to the semifinals.
Indiana’s dramatic upset of the Atlanta Dream in Thursday’s deciding Game 3 carried all the hallmarks of playoff basketball.
Kelsey Mitchell poured in 24 points, Aliyah Boston powered her way to 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Lexie Hull provided the decisive steal in the final minutes. As the buzzer sounded, the Fever‘s bench erupted, with Clark leading the celebrations as if she were on the court herself.
The rise of the “black forces”
The team’s postgame celebrations soon revealed a quirky twist. In a video shared by the Fever, players danced through the locker room holding one of Clark‘s shoes high in the air. Far from random, it tied back to a budding superstition that started earlier in the series.
Before Game 2, Clark appeared on the sideline in sleek black Air Force 1s, drawing immediate notice from her teammates.
“Black forces? She means business,” Boston said before tipoff, turning the fashion choice into a rallying cry. Indiana went on to win that game, forcing the decisive third matchup in Atlanta.
When Clark wore the same sneakers again for the series finale, the Fever again found themselves victorious. Two wins, no losses, and suddenly her footwear became part of the team’s postseason identity.
The shoes themselves are hardly the reason for Indiana’s surge, but in a playoff run defined by resilience, the symbolism matters. With Clark unavailable to score or distribute, her presence on the bench has transformed into a source of energy and belief. The “black forces,” undefeated so far, have become a unifying emblem at a time when the Fever have needed every ounce of confidence.
Indiana’s ability to advance speaks volumes about the collective effort within the locker room. Mitchell‘s consistency has been central all season, and her 24 points in the clincher once again set the tone. Boston has embraced her role as a defensive anchor and interior scorer, while Hull‘s fearless play highlighted the depth that has carried Indiana through adversity.
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