LAS VEGAS — In a year of season-ending injuries, hardship players and constant roster adjustments, the Indiana Fever had a kind of season that nobody expected. One that included a run to a decisive Game 5 in the WNBA semifinals.
That incredible, unexpected, inexplicable season came to an end with a 107-98 overtime loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night.
“They have been an absolute joy to coach,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “It’s an incredible group of women, an incredibly connected group. They’re a great example to everybody of what it means to just put one foot in front of the other, to persevere, to welcome people into the fold, to not give into circumstance, to lead with grace and dignity.”
Could the Fever have beaten the Aces if Kelsey Mitchell didn’t go down with extreme cramping in the middle of the third quarter? Or if Aliyah Boston didn’t foul out with 26 seconds left in the game, making her ineligible for the overtime period?
Sure, maybe. But half of winning a series, winning a championship even, is about luck. And the Fever haven’t been lucky at all this season.
Indiana had five season-ending injuries between July and August, starting with Caitlin Clark (right groin) on July 15, Sydney Colson (left ACL) and Aari McDonald (right foot) on Aug. 7, Sophie Cunningham (left MCL) on Aug. 17 and Chloe Bibby (left knee) on Aug. 22. Then, Damiris Dantas suffered a concussion Sept. 11 that ended up rendering her unavailable for the entirety of the eight-game playoff run.
The Fever had four players on hardship contracts, all of whom joined the team between August and September. They were thrown into the fire, expected to perform at a high level with just one or two days to learn the playbook. And they did.
“I’m super proud just to be a part of this group, we came a long way,” Odyssey Sims, who joined the team Aug. 10 on a hardship contract, said. “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.”
Lexie Hull played through a back injury for five games. Mitchell has been hurting since August, and she became so dehydrated Tuesday night that she had to lean onto a referee for support, then go to the hospital for fluids.
But the Fever, as resilient as they have been this season, fought through that bad luck. It started in May, even, when Clark suffered her first injury. It continued in June with Clark’s second injury, then in July when she suffered the injury that ultimately put her out for the season. Then again, multiple times, in August. Again in September. Again Tuesday night, when without their top two players, they pushed a decisive Game 5 into overtime.
“It’s just so unlucky that that had to happen tonight,” Hull said. “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.”
It was a type of season that nobody, even the Fever, thought was going to happen. They were playing with house money from the beginning of the playoffs, and they still pushed through, backs against the wall, three straight elimination games to put the No. 2 Aces on the brink of going home themselves.
Those injuries, those bouts of bad luck brought the Fever closer together, allowed them to play as a unit. It gave them something to fight for.
This Fever team, especially with collective bargaining agreement negotiations looming, isn’t going to be the same in 2026. And this is a group the coaching staff will remember.
“I’ve experienced some special teams in this league, in this organization, but collectively, this group has been at the top,” White said. “I’m extremely grateful for every single one of them. We know this is going to be an offseason full of change in the league, but what these women accomplished together, I mean, it’s a special story.”
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar’s YouTube channel and join Fever Insiders Live.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fever’s inexplicable season ends 1 game shy of finals despite injuries: ‘It’s a special story’
Reporting by Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
