Colts coach Shane Steichen praises Fever's resilience after dramatic WNBA playoff upset

The Indiana Fever moved into the WNBA semifinals by rallying to beat the Atlanta Dream 87-85 in Game 3 of the first-round series Thursday at Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta. The victory gave Indiana its first playoff-series win in more than a decade and came after a season defined by injuries that forced a revolving door of substitutions. The Fever overcame a late deficit and closed the game with key plays and a late run to cap the comeback and set up a meeting with the Las Vegas Aces.

Colts coach Shane Steichen offered praise for Indiana's performance, highlighting the team's grit and willingness to step up when players went down. He noted that the Fever have dealt with adversity throughout the season and emphasized the importance of collective effort as injuries mounted.

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell spoke of the leadership under head coach Stephanie White, saying she has never had a coach who poured into players with the same level of care and respect. Mitchell’s remarks followed Indiana's ability to rally in the final minute of a must-win game to topple the third-seeded Dream. Forward Sophie Cunningham reacted to Steichen's praise on social media, joining teammates in celebrating the program's unexpected late-season ascent.

Indiana's title-contending but injury-riddled season featured five players who started the year on the Fever roster suffering season-ending injuries within a two-month span. Caitlin Clark was ruled out for the rest of the season in early September after a groin injury, joining other guards who were sidelined across the year, including Sydney Colson (ACL) and Aari McDonald (broken foot). Cunningham had been sidelined by a season-ending MCL injury on Aug. 27, while other lineup reshuffles underscored Indiana's grind to reach the postseason cut.

The Fever will face the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals, with Game 1 set for Sunday. The matchup pits Indiana’s scrappy, injury-plagued group against the league’s top program, and a chance to reclaim momentum after a historic opening series win.