The Indiana Fever entered the 2025 season wanting to carry last season’s momentum. But their very first 90-91 loss to the Atlanta Dream exposed their weakness. The Fever gave a tough competition to the visitors, led them in almost every offensive stat, but their defense lacked. Their 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty was another eye-opener. The Fever showed their grit for three quarters, almost giving the defending champions their first season loss. Yet, they disappeared in the final ten minutes. Not just the defense, but the offense too, could not give them a break. And it has repeated throughout the season.

Closing games after a slow second half has been a weakness for Indiana, only aggravated by the absence of their offensive floor leader, Caitlin Clark. The team did set the longest active winning streak in the league this season with five consecutive wins. It also marked a decade since they achieved the streak and had a record above .500. But despite standing third in the Eastern Conference with a 17-13 record, the team knows the work is not done.

The new Fever point guard Aari McDonald had pointed out in their last win over the Dallas Wings, “We got to be more disruptive. We got to be on one accord with our schemes.” Kelsey Mitchell, the returning 7-year Fever veteran, had also echoed, “We like to think that we’ve made too many jumps as a team and as a group to not close out certain situations where we were supposed to.” But instead of moving on, the team is learning the lesson. Now, Aliyah Boston also reflected on her game.

Candace Parker praised the center on her franchise-best sixth double-double of the season on her podcast Post Moves. But Boston found an aspect to be better at as she replied, “We’re out here like having fun, hooping, and vibing. That’s what I do, every single time. It’s good, though. I feel like my fourth quarters recently have been pretty solid. That’s why I need to keep it up. But maybe a little bit more in the second and third, that’d be great too. But that fourth quarter has been working for me.”

The South Carolina alum has been anything but efficient since she stepped into the league. Evolving through her three seasons, HC Stephanie White gave her another challenge this season to be a situational floor general. Despite having some plays being played through her, she has kept her shooting consistency up, too.

Against the Phoenix Mercury (July 30), she scored 17 out of her 22 points in the fourth quarter. Similarly, in the game against the Seattle Storm, she scored nine straight points for Indiana during the fourth quarter. She even iced the game after grabbing the rebound from Gabby Williams’ missed 3-pointer and then knocking down a free throw.

However, Aliyah Boston and her teammates’ comments are a clear indication of the hunger the Indiana Fever have. Even without the face of their franchise, they are not settling for excuses. Knowing this Fever squad, there’s no doubt the last night’s loss against the Los Angeles Sparks would’ve stung them as well.

Kelsey Mitchell has her third 30-point game, but the Fever miss out on a rare feat

Kelsey Mitchell has already had a season to remember. But when she returned to Indiana for her eighth season this offseason, she knew the goals were very high. However, with her partner in crime, Caitlin Clark, missing a major chunk of the 2025 WNBA season, the roles changed quickly. Kelsey Mitchell, though, has not buckled under the pressure. Rather, the stellar veteran improved further.

As of now, she is averaging 20 points per game for the first time in her career. Till now, she has had three 30-point games, with her latest 34 points coming in the close 100-91 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. This win would’ve had a special significance.

With a win against the Sparks, the Indiana Fever could have achieved a rare feat of getting 4 straight road wins. However, a 25-point and 11-assist double-double from Kelsey Plum spoiled their plans. Kelsey Plum’s performance was supplemented by a 25-point performance from Rickea Jackson and a 19-point night by Azura Stevens.

Despite their loss last night, the Indiana Fever are still sitting at the 5th seed and have a 1-game advantage over the Seattle Storm. However, with how close the teams are in the table, the Fever cannot afford to lose games to teams with a worse record. With Caitlin Clark’s return date still unclear, the Fever need to win the games. Fortunately, they already know ‘comfortable’ should not be a word in their dictionary right now.