The Indiana Fever have done the unthinkable. After a rollercoaster season riddled with injuries, roster shake-ups, and the absence of their superstar Caitlin Clark, the Fever stormed into Atlanta and pulled off a dramatic 87-85 victory over the Dream in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. With this win, Indiana clinched its first playoff series triumph since 2015 and punched its ticket to the WNBA semifinals, where the mighty Las Vegas Aces await.
Let’s rewind for a moment. This Fever campaign had all the makings of a lost season. Clark, who electrified fans and drove ratings all year, was sidelined by a right groin injury in mid-July and ruled out for the remainder. DeWanna Bonner, a prized offseason addition, departed the team midway through the year. Four other key players were lost to season-ending injuries, and yet another was sidelined by a concussion as the playoffs began. It seemed like every week, Indiana’s roster was shrinking, and their postseason hopes with it.
But if there’s one thing this Fever squad has in spades, it’s grit. "I said before the game started, it was going to be a gut-check type of game," Kelsey Mitchell told reporters after the win, per ESPN. Mitchell was nothing short of heroic, pouring in 24 points and leading the team in scoring for every game of the series. Time and again, she’s been the steady hand for Indiana, refusing to let the season slip away.
Game 3 on the road was a microcosm of the Fever’s entire year. For over 29 minutes, Indiana trailed Atlanta, who were playing with the confidence of a No. 3 seed and the energy of their home crowd. The Dream dominated the paint early, racking up 40 points down low and racing to a 56-point first half—almost matching their entire output from Game 2. Indiana’s defense looked shaky, and the Dream’s athleticism seemed too much to handle.
Yet, Indiana never let the game get out of hand. Even as the Dream stretched their lead to eight, the Fever hung around, waiting for their moment. That moment finally came in the closing minutes. With 2:30 left, Indiana clamped down defensively, holding Atlanta scoreless and forcing three crucial turnovers. The Dream, who finished just 6-for-23 from beyond the arc and committed 14 turnovers overall, suddenly looked rattled.
The final sequence was pure chaos—and pure drama. Trailing by one with less than 15 seconds to go, Aliyah Boston nearly lost the ball amidst a scrum with Brionna Jones and Jordin Canada. But Kelsey Mitchell, always in the right place, scooped up the loose ball. With Jones on the floor and the Dream defense scrambling, Odyssey Sims found Boston for a go-ahead layup with 7.4 seconds left. Indiana had its first lead since the early second quarter.
Atlanta tried to respond, but Lexie Hull, whose late-game heroics have become a theme, jumped the inbounds pass for a game-saving steal. Sims then hit one of two free throws, and the Dream’s last-gasp shot at the buzzer clanged off the rim. Ballgame. The Fever bench erupted, and the small but vocal contingent of Indiana fans in the arena could hardly believe it.
"I can't put it in words. I'm just speechless right now, just how we fought through this whole game," Natasha Howard said, echoing the disbelief and pride felt throughout the locker room. Howard’s defense and leadership have been pivotal, especially with so many teammates sidelined.
Mitchell wasn’t the only star. All five Fever starters reached double figures in scoring, a testament to the team-first mentality that coach Stephanie White has preached all season. "This group is just really special," White said after the win. "It’s the resilience, the flexibility, the welcoming, inclusive nature of this team, their selflessness to pull for the we over the me… the ability to let each teammate be who they are and shine at their best and to lift them up. You couple that with the resilience, the toughness, the grit, the fight, the scrappiness, and you always give yourself a chance."
And what a chance they’ve given themselves. The Fever’s run has captured national attention, even without Clark on the court. Game 2 of the series drew 1.5 million viewers on ESPN, making it the second-most watched first-round Game 2 in WNBA history. That’s a huge rebound from Game 1’s 951,000 viewers on ABC, which was a 47% dip from last year’s Fever-Sun playoff opener. But the league as a whole is riding a wave of growing interest—other first-round Game 1s averaged 545,000 viewers, up 28% from 2024.
Indiana’s ability to draw eyeballs even without their marquee star speaks volumes about the team’s appeal and the league’s momentum. It’s not the first time this season the Fever have put up impressive TV numbers without Clark. Their regular season matchup with the Chicago Sky on July 27, which also saw Angel Reese sidelined, notched 1.5 million viewers on ABC.
Lexie Hull, whose clutch three-pointer in Game 2 and game-sealing steal in Game 3 have made her a household name among WNBA fans, summed up the team’s attitude: "We work so hard, and I'm just so proud of our group for staying with it. I mean, it's just insane that we're playing in the semifinals. We believed it, but there's so many people out there that didn't. And so we've got another series."
Indeed, another series awaits. The Fever now turn their attention to the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, who have won 18 of their last 19 games. Indiana enters as underdogs once again, but if this postseason has taught us anything, it’s to never count them out. The best-of-five semifinal tips off Sunday, and you can bet all eyes will be on this resilient, fearless group from Indiana.
From a season that looked lost to a playoff run for the ages, the Indiana Fever have reminded everyone what belief, teamwork, and a little bit of luck can accomplish. The job’s not done yet—but for now, the Fever are back where they belong: among the WNBA’s final four.
