The Indiana Fever’s remarkable 2025 season ended with heartbreak and pride on Tuesday night at Michelob Ultra Arena. Against all odds, the Fever pushed the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces to the brink in Game 5 of the WNBA semifinals before falling, 107-98, in overtime.
The defeat closed the chapter on one of the league’s most improbable playoff runs. Indiana battled through five season-ending injuries, played 34 of 44 games with 10 or fewer available players, and cycled through 16 different players on the roster. Still, it stood toe-to-toe with the champions in an elimination game, embodying the resilience that had defined its season.
“They have been an absolute joy to coach,” head coach Stephanie White said afterward. “I’ve experienced some special teams in this league, this organization, but collectively this group has been at the top. What these women accomplished together, it’s a special story and I hope one day it’s told.”
A First Half Defined by Parity
The first 20 minutes reflected the fight and balance between the two teams. The opening quarter featured seven ties, with neither side gaining separation beyond three points. Indiana and Las Vegas ended the first period knotted at 23.
The second quarter continued in the same back-and-forth fashion, with six more ties and six lead changes. Wilson scored 14 points before the break, and Young chipped in 12 to give Las Vegas a 47-45 halftime lead.
Mitchell led Indiana with 12 first-half points, while Boston anchored the interior with seven points and 11 rebounds despite picking up her third foul just before the break.
Mitchell’s Collapse and Boston’s Foul Trouble
The turning point came midway through the third. With 5:05 remaining and Indiana trailing 59-55, Boston picked up her fifth foul on an illegal screen. During the stoppage, All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell suddenly collapsed near midcourt, clutching her leg.
Teammates quickly surrounded her with towels to provide privacy as team staff treated her. A stretcher was brought to the floor but never used. Mitchell, who had scored 15 points to that point, was helped off the court and later transported to a local hospital.
The Fever confirmed postgame that Mitchell was treated for extreme lower-body cramping and released late Tuesday night. She will remain under the supervision of the Fever medical team and is expected to make a full recovery.
“She’s got a lot of lower body cramping,” White said immediately after the game. “She’s currently at the hospital right now getting fluids. This group is all heart, man. They’re just special.”
Without Mitchell, the Fever trailed 71-63 entering the fourth quarter.
A Fourth-Quarter Rally
Facing elimination, Indiana once again showed the grit that defined their season. Sims led the comeback effort, scoring 12 of her 27 points in the final period. The Fever closed the gap possession by possession until finally tying the game at 84 on Sims’ free throws with 52 seconds remaining.
On the next possession, Boston was whistled for her sixth foul while battling for a rebound. Indiana challenged the call, but it was upheld. Young converted two free throws to put Las Vegas up by two.
Yet Indiana still refused to fold. After a reset timeout, Sims attacked the basket, weaving through defenders for a layup that tied the game once more with 14.1 seconds left.
“When Kelsey went down and then the call on AB, we’ve been here before,” Hull said. “Just to be able to bounce back, still fight, close out a game like this against the Aces and send it to OT—that’s something to be proud of.”
The game headed to overtime tied at 86.
Overtime Belongs to the Aces
The extra session belonged to Las Vegas’ championship-tested core. Chelsea Gray drained two threes, Dana Evans added another, and Wilson and Young repeatedly converted at the line.
Indiana kept it close early in the period — cutting the deficit to 95-93 on Howard’s 3-point play with 2:13 remaining — but Las Vegas outscored the Fever 12-5 the rest of the way.
Wilson finished with 35 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Young added 32 points and 10 assists.
“They just made really tough plays, championship plays,” White said. “And that was it.”
this squad ❤️ pic.twitter.com/O1BGGUSWXA
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) October 1, 2025
Sims Leads the Fever
Sims was the unquestioned catalyst for Indiana, finishing with 27 points and six assists. She shot 7-for-14 from the floor and 12-for-13 from the free-throw line.
“Coach kept telling us we have more to give, we have more to give,” Sims said. “We came a long way. We beat the odds. We weren’t even supposed to be here. Of course we came up short, but I’m so proud of my teammates, coaches, everyone—all the Fever believers. It’s been a hell of a ride. I wouldn’t trade it.”
Howard added 16 points and seven rebounds, Mitchell scored 15 before her injury, and Boston tallied 11 points and 16 rebounds.
A Season of Setbacks and Resilience
The adversity began months earlier. The Fever lost Clark, Damiris Dantas, and three others to season-ending injuries. They finished the season with 136 games missed to injury or overseas commitments, set a league record with 18 different starting lineups, and used 21 players — eight on hardship contracts.
Yet somehow, they reached the semifinals and took the defending champions to overtime in Game 5.
“This season has been all about figuring it out no matter what happens,” Turner said. “When someone went down, we needed a different action, and [the coaches] were quick on their feet. That’s been the story all season.”
Hull added: “Pro sports is weird—every season’s different. But every new player this season came in, felt that connectedness, and added to it. We built a great culture, and that’ll continue.
Together at the End
After the final buzzer, the Fever huddled arm in arm at center court. Turner described it as “a moment of love for sure.”
White said she’ll remember their spirit most. “Number one, they kept getting back up collectively,” she said. “There was no circumstance on or off the floor where they blinked. They held their heads high, stood tall and faced it head on.”
For Boston, the ending only sharpened her motivation. “You hate losing, but there’s progression,” she said. “We got a taste — Game 5, semifinals — now we want the real thing. That’s the mindset for next year.”
Asked when she would begin planning for 2026, White didn’t hesitate. “Tomorrow.”
Legacy of a Season
In the end, the Fever’s season will be remembered not just for where it ended, but for how it was lived. From Mitchell’s scoring brilliance to Boston’s interior dominance, Sims’ late-season leadership, and the culture White and her staff built, Indiana left behind more than just a near-upset.
“Our love for each other, our fight for each other,” Turner said. “Every single possession, every single day, regardless of what was thrown at us, we stood together.”
The Fever didn’t make the Finals, but they laid the foundation for what’s next — and perhaps gave Indiana basketball its most inspiring story in years.
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