The Indiana Fever’s 2025 season ended not with a whimper, but with a roar—a final act of resilience that will be remembered as one of the most improbable and inspiring playoff runs in recent WNBA history. On October 1, inside a raucous Las Vegas arena, the Fever battled the defending champion Las Vegas Aces through five relentless games, ultimately falling 107-98 in overtime. Yet, as the final buzzer sounded, it was clear this Fever squad had left every ounce of themselves on the hardwood—sometimes quite literally.
Game 5 was a heavyweight fight from the tip-off. Neither side could seize control, with the lead changing hands 13 times and the score tied 16 times in a frenetic first half. A’ja Wilson, the four-time league MVP, was in full command for the Aces, racking up 36 points and 18 rebounds. Jackie Young was nearly as unstoppable, pouring in 31 points of her own. But Indiana, a team defined by its depth and doggedness, countered with a balanced attack—six players hit double figures, led by the red-hot Odyssey Sims with 27 points and Natasha Howard’s 16. Aliyah Boston, the All-Star center, gritted her way to a double-double with 11 points and 16 rebounds before fouling out in the game’s dying moments.
The Fever’s fight was all the more astonishing considering the adversity they faced. The team was already without four key players, including All-Star rookie Caitlin Clark, due to a rash of season-ending injuries that began in July and stretched into September. Clark, who played just 13 games before a right groin injury sidelined her, was joined on the injured list by Sydney Colson (left ACL), Aari McDonald (right foot), Sophie Cunningham (left MCL), Chloe Bibby (left knee), and Damiris Dantas (concussion). Four players signed hardship contracts just to keep the roster afloat. Through all this, Indiana posted a 24-20 record and stormed through three elimination games, including a comeback from a 1-0 deficit against Atlanta in the first round to win their first playoff series in a decade.
But the cruelest blow of all came midway through the third quarter of Game 5. Kelsey Mitchell, the team’s All-Star guard and emotional engine, suddenly collapsed to the floor after a routine drive to the basket. Trainers rushed to her side, shielding her with towels as a stretcher was summoned—though, mercifully, not needed. Mitchell later revealed on social media that she had suffered from Rhabdomyolysis, a rare and dangerous condition where muscle tissue breaks down and releases toxins into the bloodstream. “I suffered from something called Rhabdomyolysis last night. My muscles stopped producing and reached its maximum capacity,” she wrote. “I went into a sense of numbness/paralyzing feeling with no movement from my lower extremities for up to 5 to 7 seconds. I panicked because I began to think the worst when I felt like I couldn’t move my legs. It was an out of body experience for me and I thank God for covering me at a time like that.”
Mitchell was transported to a local hospital, treated with IV fluids, and released late that night. The Fever’s medical staff, along with their counterparts from Las Vegas, acted swiftly—a decision that sports physician Dr. Brian Sutterer later praised as life-saving. “This is one of the few sports medicine emergencies. Left untreated it can (and has before) lead to kidney failure and death. Job well done to recognize it and get her prompt treatment,” Sutterer explained. Mitchell, who played every game this season and led the team in both regular season (20.2 points per game) and playoff scoring (22.3 points in 32.6 minutes over eight games), summed up her ordeal with trademark humor and grit: “I played literally ‘til my wheels fell off.”
Her absence could have broken the Fever. Instead, it galvanized them. Sims, who joined Indiana on a hardship contract in August, erupted for 10 points in the fourth quarter, including a game-tying layup with just 22 seconds left to force overtime. “We beat the odds, we weren’t even supposed to be here, and for us to be here, we finished out strong. It wasn’t the outcome we wanted,” Sims said after the game. The Fever’s makeshift lineup, featuring players who had barely learned the playbook, held the Aces at bay deep into overtime.
But championship experience eventually told. Chelsea Gray, who had briefly exited with a foot injury, returned to bury back-to-back threes in overtime, finishing with 17 points—eight of them in the extra period. Wilson and Young iced the game at the free-throw line, sending Las Vegas to its fourth Finals appearance in six years. Indiana’s season was over, but their spirit had been indelibly stamped on the league.
In the postgame locker room, emotions ran high. The team posed for a group photo—Mitchell, still at the hospital, was absent—knowing this might be the final time this particular group would be together. Roster changes and collective bargaining negotiations loom ahead of next season. But the pride was unmistakable. “They have been an absolute joy to coach…It’s an incredible group of women, an incredibly connected group. They’re a great example to everybody what it means to just put one foot in front of the other, to persevere, to welcome people into the fold, to not give in to circumstance…I’m just, I’m so thankful to coach these women, and I’m just thankful for this experience with them,” coach Stephanie White said.
Lexie Hull, who played through a back injury, echoed the sentiment: “Just for us to be able to continue to bounce back and still fight, you know, close out a game against the Aces … for us to be able to put out the performance we did tonight and send it to overtime, that’s something to be proud of.”
The Fever’s season was, as White put it, “a special story.” From hardship contracts to hospital visits, from improbable comebacks to heartbreaking endings, Indiana played with a unity and toughness that turned adversity into inspiration. If this year was the prologue, the rest of the league should take note. With their core stars expected to return to health, and a newfound belief forged in the crucible of playoff basketball, the Indiana Fever’s future looks anything but bleak.
For now, the curtain falls on a team that refused to let injuries and odds define them. They played—quite literally—until the wheels fell off. And next season, with a full roster and the memories of this remarkable run, Indiana Fever fans have every reason to believe the best is yet to come.
