The Indiana Fever have emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the 2025 WNBA postseason. And while many expected this before the season began, there’s a big and impressive catch in how they got there, given the unforeseen circumstances.
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It’s been a brutal slog for the Fever. Their biggest weapon and the face of the WNBA, Caitlin Clark, played just 13 games before being shut down for the year with a groin injury. And it wasn’t just her. Much of their roster was battered. Sophie Cunningham tore her MCL, point guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald went down, and the team lost dozens of games to injuries.
They clawed their way to the postseason, pulled off an upset in Round 1, and pushed the Las Vegas Aces to a winner-take-all Game 5 in the semifinals. Even after losing Kelsey Mitchell midgame to debilitating cramping and watching Aliyah Boston foul out, the Fever rallied to force overtime before finally falling short, 107-98. This dramatic run impressed many, including WNBA legend Sue Bird and sports broadcaster Ryan Ruocco.
“I mean, they were so impressive,” began Ruocco in Bird’s podcast. “We got to remember, this team went 7 years without making the playoffs. And they had Kelsey Mitchell for a good chunk of those years. For one of those years they had Aliyah Boston and they had Kelsey Mitchell.”
“Last year they get Caitlin and especially that second half of the year, things just come together. Everything just works with those three. So if you would have said to anyone, ‘Hey, Caitlin’s going to only play 13 games,’ I think they would have said, ‘This team isn’t going to make the playoffs. They’ll be lucky if they’re sniffing the playoffs. Nevermind be able to make a run to the semifinals.'”
There’s just something in that Indiana air. The Fever’s run echoed the nearly flawless run by the Pacers this past NBA postseason. While the Pacers had their weapons like Haliburton and Siakam, they managed to turn guaranteed losses into incredible wins.
The Fever nearly pulled their own Pacer dark magic against the Aces, but MVP A’ja Wilson catapulted her squad to their third Finals in four years. Regardless, Ruocco thinks a lot of praise should go to coach Steph White.
“I said this on air in Game 5, but I believe it,” Ruocco stated. “The Indiana Fever should go tell Steph White, we’ll sign you to a lifetime contract right now. The fact that they were in that series when you look at the rosters and who was on the floor, it’s an amazing accomplishment that they were able to push that to Game 5.”
Bird wholeheartedly agreed, praising White for her adaptability given the roster the Fever had to work with. “That’s something not every coach possesses,” said the WNBA legend, referring to White’s ability to adjust on the fly.
The Fever didn’t make the Finals, but they earned everyone’s respect. Even without their star and half the roster, they fought like veterans. Their toughness and chemistry proved this team is no fluke. Once they’re healthy, the rest of the league better watch out.
