Fever Overcomes Caitlin Clark’s Absence and Three Season‑Ending Injuries to Stay in WNBA Playoff Hunt

Fever Overcomes Caitlin Clark’s Absence and Three Season‑Ending Injuries to Stay in WNBA Playoff Hunt

 

August 21, 2025 – Indianapolis — The Indiana Fever are battling through adversity and finding a way to hang onto playoff positioning, even as star guard Caitlin Clark remains sidelined and three teammates face season-ending injuries.

Clark, the 2024 No. 1 overall pick and two-time All-Star, has been out since July 15 due to a right groin injury complicated by a bone bruise, with no timeline for a return . The situation worsened on August 7 in a game against Phoenix, when backup guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson suffered season-ending injuries—McDonald with a broken foot and Colson with a torn ACL . Then, just days later, Sophie Cunningham joined the list of sidelined players, torn MCL marking her out for the remainder of the season .

Yet with nine regular‑season games remaining, the resilient Fever remain alive in the playoff battle. Indiana holds the sixth seed, sitting two games clear of the ninth‑place Los Angeles Sparks .

There’s a distinct mindset driving the team forward. Head coach Stephanie White, returning to her home state, emphasizes resilience: “There’s a difference in reacting to situations and responding to situations—and this group responds… You can fight or you can fold, and we aren’t folding” . The emotional toll of these losses has been palpable, but the Fever continue to rely on strong locker room bonds. “When people have bad days and bad things happen, you have to lean on internal relationships,” said All‑Star guard Kelsey Mitchell .

Despite being shorthanded, the team is finding ways to win. Following a turbulent stretch—including the departure of multiple guards—Indiana rallied: after initial losses, they strung together five straight victories. Even after the flurry of injuries on August 7, the Fever went 2–2 in tight games. Then, after Cunningham’s injury, they erased a 21‑point deficit and earned an overtime win in Connecticut—an emotional comeback that had White in tears .

Offensive loads have been redistributed. Veteran scorer Kelsey Mitchell has stepped up, delivering a career‑high 19.9 points per game . All‑Star center Aliyah Boston has bolstered the inside presence, improving her passing and rebounding to shift the team’s dynamic . Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham had been significant contributors before going down, while rookie and role players fill in where possible.

Indiana’s defense has become a foundation for its survival. Under White’s leadership, the Fever improved significantly from last season—moving from near the bottom of the league to a much stronger defensive unit this year . This defensive grit, combined with a frontcourt presence from Boston and Howard, has cushioned the loss of Clark’s offensive firepower.

Still, all eyes are on Clark’s return. Her absence—already totaling 22 missed games—has put the team’s championship ceiling at risk . But if she can return healthy, the team believes it can make a deep run.

For now, it’s a story of survival. In the face of cascading injuries, the Fever have not conceded, keeping their playoff hope alive—and perhaps planting the seeds for tougher, more battle‑tested group beyond this season.