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Alexa Philippou
BALTIMORE — The Indiana Fever‘s 2025 campaign has been full of adversity, headlined by the loss of star Caitlin Clark and four other players to season-ending injuriesbut their resolve paid off Sunday when they clinched one of two remaining playoff berths with a 94-65 drubbing of the Washington Mystics.
After a seven-year playoff drought following the retirement of franchise legend Tamika Catchings, Indiana has snagged consecutive postseason berths for the first time since making it each year from 2005 to 2016.
“We never doubted ourselves. We never doubted that we could be in the playoffs, even if things looked like it got harder,” said Aliyah Bostonthe Fever’s 2023 No. 1 pick who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds Sunday. “I think through everything, you’re able to see us play with joy and stay together, regardless of who’s on the floor.”
Coach Stephanie White said there was a healthy level of celebration in the locker room after their largest road win of the season, knowing they still have more work to do.
“With all the stuff that we’ve been through, most teams would have folded, and we just kept getting stronger,” White said. “These women in the locker room deserve a lot of credit for their ability to stay resilient, to stay together, to stay hungry and to stay the course.”
With one regular-season game remaining against the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, the Fever will secure no worse than the No. 7 seed and would be the No. 6 seed if the Golden State Valkyries lose out.
The 23rd victory of the season also set a franchise record; the 2025 season is the longest in league history at 44 games. It also guarantees the team’s first winning season since 2015.
After leading by just seven points at the half, the Fever controlled the game following the break, outscoring the Mystics by 22 in the final 20 minutes behind greater defensive urgency and attention to detail while ultimately forcing 21 turnovers. They also saw five players finish in double-figures, including newcomers Aerial Powers (15 points) and Item peddy (13 points).
It was the Mystics’ second game of the season played at Baltimore’s CFG Arena, which accommodates larger crowds than Entertainment & Sports Arena as D.C.’s Capital One Arena undergoes renovations.
The Fever’s win was a feel-good moment for a group that, despite entering the season with championship expectations, was dealt a tough hand with Clark limited to just 13 games and their backcourt decimated by injuries.
With Clark, Aari mcdonald, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and Chloe Bibby all out, the Fever have had to bring in four hardship players in recent weeks, requiring the team to reinvent themselves. In all, they’ve had 18 players suit up this season.
It’s taken some time to recalibrate after each injury, but the Fever have found a rhythm to close the regular season, winning their past two games (albeit to teams eliminated from playoff contention) by a combined 49 points.
Even though Indiana’s championship ceiling took a hit with so many injuries, it’ll still look to use this momentum to win the franchise’s first playoff game — and first postseason series — since 2015. “I look at this group and the roots that have been grown throughout the course of the season, thinking about not just where we are now and the opportunity that we have in the playoffs, but where we’re going to be in the future,” White said. “When you can go through and grow through these types of experiences, it lays a foundation for championship culture and championship mindset. And ultimately, that’s our ultimate goal.”
The WNBA playoffs start on Sept. 14 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.
