For the Indiana Fever, the 2025 season has been anything but smooth. Coming into the year, expectations were sky-high after Caitlin Clark’s sensational rookie season ended the franchise’s decade-long playoff drought. Clark had sparked a resurgence, and fans believed she was the foundation of a long-term contender.
But the story of this season wasn’t about Clark’s star power. In fact, she barely featured at all. A string of injuries kept her sidelined for more games than she played, leaving Indiana without the very player they thought would carry them forward. And she wasn’t the only one. The Fever were forced to navigate a brutal wave of injuries, losing Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, and two other rotation players in addition to Clark. By midseason, it felt like the team could collapse under the weight of its absences.
Instead, something remarkable happened.
A Team Too Big for the Frame
WNBA rosters are capped at 11 or 12 players, but the Fever somehow managed to expand their squad thanks to injury exemptions. On September 5, they lined up for their official team photo with a jaw-dropping 16 players in uniform. Aliyah Boston later joked on Post Moves with Candace Parker, “Honestly, when we took that picture, we laughed a lot. We were like, this is the biggest team picture in WNBA history. It has to be.”
Rather than releasing their injured stars, the Fever used roster flexibility to keep them while also signing replacements. Odyssey Sims, Aeriel Powers, Shey Peddy, and returnee Bree Hall all joined the mix. Combined with the healthy core of Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Natasha Howard, Indiana essentially had two teams’ worth of contributors rotating in and out.
The constant shuffling could have easily broken chemistry, but the Fever chose to embrace it. They ran out nine different starting lineups, adjusting on the fly and learning how to win with whoever was available. That adaptability, instead of being a weakness, became their defining strength.
Mitchell and Boston: The Steady Core
Through all the roster chaos, two players held Indiana together.
Kelsey Mitchell, long seen as an underrated scorer, had the best season of her career. She averaged 20.2 points per game and broke Tamika Catchings’ single-season scoring record, cementing herself as one of the league’s most dangerous offensive threats.
Meanwhile, Aliyah Boston continued her rapid rise as a two-way anchor. The former No. 1 pick posted her most complete season yet 15.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, while shooting nearly 54 percent from the floor. Her ability to control the paint while also facilitating from the post gave the Fever a stabilizing presence no matter who was around her.
Together, Mitchell and Boston became the heart of a team that refused to fold.
The Road Ahead
Now, Indiana heads into the postseason with momentum, but also with a steep challenge. Depending on results, they’ll enter as either the sixth or seventh seed. That means a first-round matchup against one of two powerhouses: Atlanta, with its suffocating defense, or Las Vegas, led by MVP candidate A’ja Wilson.
On paper, the Fever are underdogs. But inside the locker room, the message from coach Christie Sides has been consistent: Indiana isn’t here just to make up the numbers.
The Fever have embraced their patchwork identity. They’ve become a team built on resilience, adaptability, and opportunity. Players who weren’t even expected to see the floor this season are now rotation contributors, while stars like Mitchell and Boston have elevated their games to new heights.
An Identity Unlike Any Other
This year’s Indiana Fever don’t look like a polished contender. They’re not a team stacked with All-Stars or bolstered by continuity. Instead, they’re a group defined by perseverance and unexpected depth.
That identity makes them dangerous. Opponents won’t just face Mitchell’s scoring or Boston’s dominance inside they’ll face a squad of players who have fought for every minute, every lineup shuffle, and every win.
The postseason will be a tough climb, but no matter how far the Fever go, they’ve already shown something invaluable: they’ve built a culture of resilience. And for a franchise that spent ten years outside the playoff picture, that may be the most important step of all.