The Indiana Fever are making headlines once more, and for good reason. With the WNBA semifinals reaching a fever pitch, the Fever have clawed their way back into the national spotlight, just one win away from their first WNBA Finals appearance in a decade. Tuesday night in Las Vegas, the stakes couldn’t be higher: a decisive Game 5 awaits, and the echoes of past glory are unmistakable in the air.
This 2025 Indiana squad isn’t just a team—it’s a living bridge between eras. Fever assistant coaches Briann January and Karima Christmas-Kelly know all about championship grit. Both played crucial roles on the 2012 team that captured Indiana’s first-ever WNBA title. Back then, adversity struck hard: five-time All-Star Katie Douglas suffered a season-ending ankle injury during the Eastern Conference Finals, and Jeannette Pohlen tore her ACL in Game 2 of the Finals. Yet, the Fever’s resilience shone through as they powered to the championship.
Fast forward to today, and the parallels are uncanny. The 2025 Fever have endured five season-ending injuries since July, but the culture—rooted in family, unity, and relentless determination—remains the same. Stephanie White, who served as an assistant coach in 2012, now leads the team from the head coach’s chair. “We had people who had played no minutes, played limited minutes on our bench, come in and to win it,” January reflected, drawing a direct line from the past to the present. “Direct parallels, with the culture, the team, the family atmosphere, it feels very similar.”
That culture has been tested and proven time and again. Indiana forced a winner-take-all Game 5 by defeating the Las Vegas Aces 90-83 on Sunday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, a contest that saw the Fever’s stars rise to the occasion. Aliyah Boston delivered a playoff career-high 24 points—17 of which came in the second half—along with 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two blocks. “It’s just being confident,” Boston said after the game. “The fans were great, everyone showed out, and we were confident shooting the ball.”
Boston’s dominance in the paint wasn’t the only story. Kelsey Mitchell, after a pair of subpar outings by her own standards, bounced back with a team-high 25 points, shooting 9-of-20 from the field and 2-of-5 from deep. Fever coach Stephanie White praised the team’s approach: “When we’re the aggressive and move the ball, good things happen for us. We attacked. We played with a sense of urgency, we made the right reads and the right plays.”
The Fever’s journey back to the semifinals has been nothing short of remarkable. This is their first appearance at this stage since 2015—a year when, coincidentally, White was the head coach, January ran the point, and Natasha Howard was a promising second-year player. That 2015 squad also faced elimination, dropping the first game of a best-of-three series against the New York Liberty before storming back to win two straight and earn a Finals berth. The echoes of that comeback spirit are hard to ignore as Indiana prepares for another do-or-die contest.
For much of the past decade, however, the Fever wandered through the wilderness. White left after 2016 to coach at Vanderbilt, and franchise legend Tamika Catchings retired the same year. What followed was a cycle of coaching changes, roster upheaval, and seven straight years without a playoff appearance—tying a WNBA record for postseason drought. High draft picks came and went, but the breakthrough didn’t arrive until Indiana landed the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, selecting Aliyah Boston. The following year, lightning struck twice: the Fever again held the top pick, this time choosing Caitlin Clark, a generational talent and collegiate superstar.
With these foundational pieces in place, the Fever went 20-20 in 2024, making the playoffs at last, only to fall in the first round to White’s Connecticut Sun. After that season, White returned to Indiana, bringing January and Austin Kelly with her. The new coaching staff immediately set about restoring the Fever’s winning culture, emphasizing selflessness and unity. “We’re trying to bring that back, that tradition, that culture, back,” January said. “And part of it’s just family, and I think that’s gotten us through a lot of the adversity we faced this year, and it starts in the locker room. And if you’re all-in, it’s been we over me all year, and that’s what we’ve been preaching.”
But adversity hasn’t just been limited to injuries and tough losses. Sunday’s Game 4 win over the Aces was marred by controversy over officiating. The Fever attempted 34 free throws to the Aces’ 11, with Boston alone getting 13 trips to the line. Las Vegas head coach Becky Hammon didn’t mince words: “A lot of grabbing and holding down (in the paint) that got called one way,” she said, adding, “They shot a lot of free throws. We didn’t. I appreciate it was a little tighter call, but tighter on both ends would’ve been nice.”
Despite the noise, Indiana’s focus remains unshaken. Natasha Howard, who played a supporting role on the 2015 squad, is relishing the full-circle moment. “We’re happy we’re back in the semifinals again, like a whole 360 all over again. I got to get the 2015 player back in my head again, and I’m just so excited that we’re back here. And with this group of young women, the job’s not done yet.”
Meanwhile, the Fever’s opponent in this final semifinal showdown, the Las Vegas Aces, are feeling the pressure. MVP A’ja Wilson poured in 31 points in Game 4, but foul trouble plagued the Aces, with NaLyssa Smith limited to eight points in 22 minutes and several players finishing with five fouls. For Las Vegas, this marks the second winner-take-all game of the postseason—a test of nerves and resolve for both teams.
Whoever emerges from Tuesday’s clash will face the red-hot Phoenix Mercury, who secured their spot in the Finals with a dramatic 86-81 comeback win over the Minnesota Lynx. The Mercury, led by Alyssa Thomas’s 23 points and 10 assists, await their challenger while enjoying some much-needed rest. For the Fever, the challenge is clear: overcome adversity one more time, lean on their storied culture, and seize the moment.
As the lights shine bright in Las Vegas, the Indiana Fever stand on the brink of history. With echoes of championships past and a roster built for the future, they’re just one win away from a shot at WNBA glory. The story isn’t finished yet—but if history is any guide, this group has all the makings of a classic.