Fever Grow Through Adversity in Loss to Dream
May 20, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release
The Fever dropped their first game of the 2025 season on Tuesday evening, falling to the Dream, 91-90, after trailing by as many as 14 points. Indiana staged several comebacks, and even tied the game with less than 10 seconds to play, but Atlanta prevailed.
"There were certain things set in stone for us to do to be effective from quarter one to quarter four," Kelsey Mitchell said postgame. "You guys didn't see what it was supposed to look like until quarter three and a half, going into the fourth.
"...I think that once you saw us really tap into who the Fever is and our identity, you guys were able to see down the stretch what it looked like. At this junction of our career, we can't wait until the third quarter to want to be that team."
Indiana allowed Atlanta to score 31 points in the opening quarter and committed 10 turnovers in the first half that led to 12 Dream points. Despite the early struggle, the Fever rallied to trail by just two points at halftime.
Rhyne Howard opened the second half with three 3-pointers for the Dream, creating a 9-0 run and extending Atlanta's lead back to 11 points just 90 seconds into the half.
A roller coaster game for the Fever resulted in two 30-point quarters for the Dream each followed by a period in which Indiana held them to less than 20 points. Through the inconsistencies and lapses in focus, Indiana held together, growing through the challenges of double-digit deficits and multiple thwarted comebacks.
"Honestly, I give my teammates a lot of credit," Caitlin Clark said. "We never gave up. We fought, we fought, we fought. We were right there. We found a way to get back in it. You know, when things didn't seem very good for this group, at least we stayed together and we kept fighting. And that's a positive."
The core trio of Clark, Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston was outstanding in Tuesday's game. They combined to score 75 of Indiana's 90 points, and recorded 56% shooting from the field as a group. Boston and Mitchell each tallied 24 points, and Boston recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds. Clark notched 27 points, five rebounds, and 11 assists.
Clark's 27 points and 11 assists mark her 10th 20-point, 10-assist game of her career and ties the WNBA record for such games. Courtney Vandersloot - the current record holder - accomplished the feat over 430 appearances. Clark has done it in just 42.
The flashes of potential and glimpses of greatness from this Fever squad were apparent in their 2024 campaign, but are growing more frequent as Indiana embarks on its regular season schedule in 2025. Connectedness is key for the Fever, and they're building chemistry through pressure and adversity.
"We want to win this game," Clark said postgame. "But I think this is great for our team. A little adversity, how are we going to respond? How are we going to come in here tomorrow morning and watch the film, and learn, and get on the court and get better? And like I said, that's why this league is so great. You have a couple days, and then you get right back to it."
Indiana travels to Atlanta for a Thursday matchup and a chance at redemption against a strong Dream team. The Fever's first road game of the season offers an opportunity to put their resilience on stage as they have just one day of rest between Tuesday's loss and Thursday's rematch.
"You've got to be ready to go every game in this league," coach Stephanie White said. "You know, teams are too good. It's a long season. We're going to continue to grow."
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