Caitlin Clark-less Fever use late heroics to eliminate Dream from WNBA playoffs

Indiana Fever advanced to the WNBA semifinals with an 87-85 win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday night in College Park, Ga., despite Caitlin Clark missing the postseason because of an injury. Aliyah Boston delivered the decisive play, hitting the go-ahead layup with 7.4 seconds left, and Lexie Hull forced a turnover on the inbound to seal the victory as Indiana closed the door on Atlanta’s playoff bid.

The Fever, the sixth seed, will move on to face the winner of the other Thursday Game 3 between Seattle and Las Vegas on Sunday. Indiana’s late-season surge culminated in its first playoff series win since 2015, a notable achievement given Clark’s absence and the added pressure of playing without their marquee scorer.

With Indiana trailing late, Boston found an opening under the basket and converted a go-ahead layup to put the Fever ahead. Brionna Jones went to the floor while chasing a loose ball, and Hull sprinted from behind to poke away another inbound pass from Jones, preserving Indiana’s possession. Odyssey Sims then went 1 of 2 at the free-throw line to give Atlanta a final chance with 1.2 seconds remaining, but Jones’s off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 24 points, while Boston finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Sims contributed 16 points and eight assists, and Natasha Howard added 12 for the Fever. Atlanta got 19 points and 12 rebounds from Allisha Gray and 18 points and 10 assists from Jordin Canada, with Rhyne Howard adding 16 points and Brionna Jones 12. Indiana had trailed earlier in the game, and Atlanta had finally reached the 60-point mark with 6:09 left in the third quarter, but the Fever surged back to force a dramatic finish. In the previous game, Atlanta had been held to 60 points in a 17-point loss, highlighting the defensive tilt of the series.

The outcome marked a milestone for Indiana: its first playoff series win since 2015. The Dream, who last won a playoff series in 2016, could not close out the series despite a strong effort from their core of veterans and young standouts. Clark, out for the season with an injury, watched from the sideline as Indiana demonstrated resilience and depth beyond its star.

The Fever now shift their focus to Sunday’s semifinal, where they will face the winner of Seattle versus Las Vegas. The matchup will determine who advances to the league’s championship series, with Indiana hoping the late-game confidence gained in this series can carry them forward.