The 2025 season for the Indiana Fever has been a rollercoaster of emotions, marked by adversity and resilience. Despite the absence of their star Caitlin Clark and four other key players due to injuries, the team demonstrated their mettle by securing their place in the playoffs with a resounding 94-65 victory over the Washington Mystics.
After seven years of drought following the retirement of Tamika Catchings, a franchise legend, Indiana has managed to qualify for the postseason for the second consecutive year, something that hadn’t happened since the period from 2005 to 2016.
We never doubted ourselves. We never doubted that we could make the playoffs, even when things got tough.
Aliyah BostonAliyah Boston, the Fever’s first pick in 2023, who finished the game with 12 points and 11 rebounds, highlighted the team’s ability to stay together and play with joy, regardless of who was on the court.Coach Stephanie White celebrated the victory in the locker room, acknowledging that there is still work to be done.
With everything we’ve been through, most teams would have crumbled, but we got stronger. These women in the locker room deserve a lot of credit for their ability to remain resilient, united, and hungry.
Stephanie White
With one regular season game remaining against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, the Fever will secure at least the seventh spot and could be sixth if the Golden State Valkyries lose.
The 23rd victory of the season also set a franchise record, in which the 2025 season is the longest in league history, with 44 games. In addition, it guarantees the team’s first winning season since 2015.
After leading by only seven points at halftime, the Fever dominated the game in the second half, outscoring the Mystics by 22 points thanks to greater defensive urgency and attention to detail, forcing 21 turnovers. Five players finished with double figures, including Aerial Powers (15 points) and Shey Peddy (13 points).
The Fever’s victory is a moment of joy for a team that, despite championship expectations at the beginning of the season, has faced a difficult situation with Clark limited to only 13 games and their backcourt decimated by injuries.
With Clark, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham, and Chloe Bibby out, the Fever have had to incorporate four emergency players in recent weeks, forcing the team to reinvent itself. In total, they have had 18 players on the roster this season.
Although Indiana’s championship ceiling was affected by so many injuries, they will look to build on this momentum to win their first playoff game, and first postseason series, since 2015.
I look at this group and the roots that have been cultivated throughout the season, thinking not only about where we are now and the opportunity we have in the playoffs, but also about where we will be in the future. When you can go through and grow through these types of experiences, that lays the foundation for a championship culture and mentality.
Stephanie White
The WNBA playoffs begin on September 14th and will follow a 1-1-1 format for the first round, meaning the Fever will host a playoff game in Indianapolis for the first time since 2015.
