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Indiana Fever Open WNBA Season with High-Scoring Losses and Roster Updates

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Fever Off to a Rollercoaster Start in 2025

The Indiana Fever began the 2025 WNBA season with a series of high-scoring games, including an opening loss to the Dallas Wings and an overtime defeat to the Washington Mystics. Guard Caitlin Clark has been a central figure, recording multiple high-point games and achieving the fastest 500 career assists in league history, but has also dealt with a back issue that caused her to miss one game. The Fever have a 3-2 record following a win against the Atlanta Dream.

Season Opener: Dallas Wings 107, Indiana Fever 104

The Dallas Wings defeated the Indiana Fever 107-104 on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the WNBA season opener. The game marked the first in WNBA history where both teams scored over 100 points. The lead changed 11 times.

Key Statistics

Dallas Wings: Arike Ogunbowale scored 22 points. Paige Bueckers and Odyssey Sims each contributed 20 points. Bueckers shot 8-of-10 from the field. Azzi Fudd scored 3 points in 18 minutes.

Indiana Fever: Kelsey Mitchell led with 30 points. Aliyah Boston scored 23 points. Caitlin Clark finished with 20 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 5 turnovers on 7-of-18 shooting.

Team Shooting: Dallas shot 59% from the field and 52% from three-point range (12-of-23). Indiana shot 52% from the field and 29% from three-point range. Dallas outscored Indiana 25-12 in transition.

Key Moments

  • The game was tied at 80 entering the fourth quarter.
  • With 9:09 remaining, Aziaha James made a four-point play to give Dallas an 84-82 lead. The Wings did not trail after that point.
  • With 35 seconds left, Odyssey Sims scored to give Dallas a five-point lead.
  • With seven seconds remaining and the Fever trailing by three, Clark missed a three-pointer. After Paige Bueckers missed two free throws, Mitchell missed a potential game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer.
  • Clark briefly left the court in the third quarter for a back adjustment. She was observed wearing back support during bench stints.

Player and Coach Statements

  • Caitlin Clark: Reported starting slowly due to first-game anxiety but stated she felt fast and close to a good game.
  • Head Coach Stephanie White: Stated Clark was not at 100% health but was cleared to play 30 minutes.
  • Officiating: The WNBA's new emphasis on freedom of movement resulted in 53 total fouls (28 on Wings, 25 on Fever). Coach White supported the emphasis while noting inconsistency. Players Arike Ogunbowale and Odyssey Sims acknowledged the need to adapt to the stricter officiating.

Game 2: Washington Mystics 104, Indiana Fever 102 (OT)

The Washington Mystics defeated the Indiana Fever 104-102 in overtime on Friday night.

Key Statistics

Washington Mystics: Sonia Citron scored 30 points. Kiki Iriafen recorded 25 points and 13 rebounds. Shakira Austin scored 19 points. Rookie Cotie McMahon scored 13 points, including 5 in overtime.

Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark scored a game-high 32 points, including 7 three-pointers, with 8 assists and 4 rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell added 24 points. Aliyah Boston scored 9 points before leaving the game with a lower leg injury with two minutes left in the third quarter and did not return.

Team Statistics: The Fever made 17 three-pointers on 42 attempts but were outscored 48-28 in the paint. Washington shot 56% from the field. Indiana took 92 field goal attempts, making 36 (39%).

Key Moments

  • Indiana led 28-21 after the first quarter. Washington outscored them 20-9 in the second to lead 41-37 at halftime.
  • Washington led by 14 in the second half before Clark hit three three-pointers to start the fourth quarter with a 12-2 run.
  • Clark forced overtime with a three-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in regulation, tying the game at 89-89. Citron attempted a half-court shot but did not release before the buzzer.
  • The Fever missed two free throws in the last minute of overtime and a contested shot at the buzzer.

Player and Coach Statements

  • Caitlin Clark: Stated the team needs to improve its defense when not playing well.
  • Head Coach Stephanie White: Cited defensive issues as a key factor in the loss.

Game 3: Golden State Valkyries 90, Indiana Fever 88

The Golden State Valkyries defeated the Indiana Fever 90-88 on Thursday night.

Key Statistics

Indiana Fever: Caitlin Clark recorded 16 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals in 29 minutes. She shot 3-of-12 from the field and 2-of-6 from three-point range, and made all eight free-throw attempts. Sophie Cunningham scored 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 25 minutes off the bench.

Milestone: Clark reached her 500th career assist in the second quarter, becoming the fastest player to achieve that milestone in WNBA history.

Quarter-by-Quarter Summary

  • First quarter: Golden State led 14-7.
  • Second quarter: Indiana outscored Golden State 30-23. The teams were tied 44-44 at halftime.
  • Third quarter: Indiana led 67-65.
  • Fourth quarter: Golden State took an 89-84 lead with 30 seconds left. Indiana responded with a 4-1 run to make it 90-88. Aliyah Boston missed a shot with three seconds remaining, preventing overtime.

Game 4: Indiana Fever 83, Atlanta Dream 71 (Commissioner's Cup)

The Indiana Fever defeated the Atlanta Dream 83-71 on Thursday night in the WNBA Commissioner's Cup opener.

Key Statistics

Indiana Fever: Kelsey Mitchell scored a game-high 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting. She scored 11 consecutive points during a third-quarter run and joined the WNBA's 5,000-point club. Aliyah Boston contributed 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Caitlin Clark recorded 17 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds.

Atlanta Dream: Allisha Gray and Jordin Canada each scored 13 points. Canada also had 7 assists. Naz Hillmon added 12 points. Angel Reese recorded 11 points and 10 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.

Game Turning Point

Atlanta rallied from a 38-29 halftime deficit to take a 43-42 lead with 6:15 left in the third quarter. After a timeout, Boston's block led to a basket, Clark made a three-pointer, and Mitchell started an 11-point run, extending the lead to 58-43.

Context

  • The Fever's defense held Atlanta to a season-low 71 points, compared to Indiana's average of 89 points allowed per game.
  • Indiana faced questions about a sideline disagreement between Clark and coach Stephanie White during a previous loss. The Fever held a team meeting on Monday.

Player Absence and Reporting Issue

Caitlin Clark Misses Game Due to Back Injury

Caitlin Clark did not play in Wednesday's game against the Portland Fire due to back stiffness. The Fever won 90-73. Head coach Stephanie White stated Clark "woke up with some stiffness and some soreness" and that the decision was precautionary and not related to load management. She confirmed Clark is healthy. Point guard Ty Harris started in Clark's place.

Potential WNBA Rule Violation

The Fever initially listed "no injuries" in their status report after Tuesday's practice. Clark was ruled out at 5:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday for the 7 p.m. game. Coach White stated Clark experienced back stiffness and did not practice Tuesday, but the team did not report the injury earlier.

WNBA rules require teams to designate a player's participation status and identify an injury by 5 p.m. local time the day before a game (except for back-to-backs). The delay may constitute a violation, and the league is expected to investigate and may issue a fine.

Upcoming Games

  • Indiana Fever: Visits Los Angeles on Wednesday; hosts Seattle on Sunday; at New York on Saturday.
  • Dallas Wings: Hosts Atlanta on Tuesday.
  • Washington Mystics: At Dallas on Monday.