Against all odds, the Indiana Fever have clinched their first WNBA playoff series win since 2015.
Without injured star Caitlin Clark, No. 6 seeded-Indiana trailed for 29 minutes in a winner-take-all Game 3 against the Atlanta Dream.
The Fever reached the WNBA semifinals on Thursday nightGettyBut on the road, the Fever were able to hold the Dream scoreless in the closing minutes, and finished the game on a 7-0 run to shock Atlanta 87-85 and reach the semifinals.
“I can’t put it in words. I’m just speechless right now, just how we fought through this whole game,” Natasha Howard said, as Indiana ended a decade-long playoff wait.
Lexie Hull, meanwhile, aimed a shot at those who didn’t believe the Fever could advance in Clark’s absence — even though she has been present on the sidelines throughout.
“We work so hard, and I’m just so proud of our group for staying with it,” she said.
“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.”
Now, a semifinal clash with the Las Vegas Aces — the 2022 and 2023 WNBA champions — awaits.
Will Caitlin Clark play for Indiana Fever against the Aces?
After the Fever punched their ticket to the WNBA semifinals, questions formed over whether fans can expect to see Clark play any part in Indiana’s biggest series of the last 10 years.
The second-year superstar has not featured since she suffered a right groin injury on July 15, and confirmed to fans on September 5 that her season was over.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark wrote on social media.
Clark has been injured since July 15 and is not eligible to return for the playoffsGetty“I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling.
“I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty. This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good.
“The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year.”
Clark is not eligible to return for the Fever during the playoffs, even if she does fully recover in the coming days and weeks.
While she could have made a comeback at any point in the regular season, each team needed to submit an active roster ahead of the postseason.
Only players on that submitted active roster are eligible for the playoffs, and Clark was not listed by Indiana.
Caitlin Clark (C) played only 13 games in the 2025 WNBA season and cannot returnGetty When Clark was on the court, though, she was box office viewingGettyThe next time WNBA fans will see her on the court will be in 2026, regardless of how far the Fever go in the postseason.
How many games did Clark play in 2025?
Clark played just 13 games this season, in which she averaged 16.5 points shooting at a below-par 36.7 percent from the field and five rebounds.
She did, however, rank second in the WNBA in assists with 8.8 per game, behind only six-time All-Star Alyssa Thomas (9.2 assists per contest).
Despite her absence, as well as that of her rival and member of her fellow draft class in Angel Reese, the WNBA’s viewership numbers have continued to rise.
Clark has been on the bench in recent months, but has not made it onto the courtGETTYFever’s ability to adapt to adversity is astounding
Considering the hand the Fever have been dealt this season, losing several players to season-ending injuries, it is somewhat incredible that they were able to muster together a 24-20 winning record, and finish third in the Eastern Conference.
Also, it cannot be forgotten that Indiana defeated the No. 1 seed Minnesota Lynx led by Cheryl Reeve – sans Clark – to claim the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup for the very first time.
Since then, the Fever have gone on to suffer more injury woes which has seen Chloe Bibby, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson and Clark’s ‘enforcer’ Sophie Cunningham all ruled out for the remainder of the season.
Having to really dig into the depths of their roster coached by Stephanie White, the Fever have been spearheaded by eight-year veteran guard, Mitchell, who has shouldered the majority of the backcourt workload without her partner in crime in Clark.
Three-time WNBA All-Star Mitchell was pivotal in the Fever’s series vs the DreamGetty The Fever have seen half of their roster ruled out with season-ending injuries in 2025GettyOne of four players who suited up on all 44 occasions for Indiana this regular season (Boston, Hull and Howard are the others), Mitchell notched a career-high 20.2 points at a 45.6 percent shooting clip.
She also shot with 39.4 percent accuracy from beyond the arc, which is ahead of her career average from that distance. This ultimately saw her earn her third straight All-Star nod.
Even with Mitchell’s heroics, few thought the Fever would win their series against Atlanta, especially given Game 3 was on the road.
“This group is just really special,” Coach White said after Thursday’s win.
Coach White has praised the Fever for showing grit this seasonGetty“I mean, we say it pretty much ad nauseam, but 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.”
Although Clark may not feature on the court against the Aces, there is no doubt that she will continue to be one of the team’s biggest cheerleaders on the sidelines, as Indiana chase their first Finals appearance since 2015.
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