DALLAS — On the surface, the Indiana Fever appeared to dominate Friday night’s matchup.
They walked out of American Airlines Center with an 88–78 win over the Dallas Wings, limiting every Wings player except 2025 No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers (22 points) to single-digit scoring. Indiana also won the rebounding battle by 14. It marked their fourth consecutive victory their longest winning streak of the season and the current best in the league.
Still, guard Kelsey Mitchell wasn’t entirely satisfied with the performance. “Credit to Dallas they’re a young, energetic team with talent,” she said. “But when we’re in position to control a game, we have to take it. I think we let up tonight.”
Indiana built a 13-point lead in the third quarter but allowed Dallas to cut it to six, giving the struggling Wings (8–21) a shot at a comeback. The Fever were also sloppy with the ball, committing 19 turnovers many of them unforced, like stepping out of bounds or errant passes which led to 13 Dallas points. Indiana further hurt itself by sending the Wings to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 24 attempts.
Despite the miscues, the Fever held on, but such lapses could prove costly against stronger teams like Minnesota, Seattle, or Phoenix.
“We didn’t play particularly well,” said head coach Stephanie White. “But we found a way to win with scoring runs, stops when needed, and adjustments. This team has shown resilience all year.”
That resilience has fueled Indiana’s turnaround. After hovering around .500 for much of the season, the Fever are now four games above the mark, a first since 2015, when Mitchell was still in college. And this progress has come without star guard Caitlin Clark, who has missed 15 games, including the last several due to a groin injury with no return date set.
Without Clark, the Fever have found a new rhythm, largely thanks to midseason pickup Aari McDonald. Signed permanently on June 25, McDonald has brought speed, vision, and decision-making to Indiana’s transition game. She’s filled a major gap created by injuries and roster changes.
“She’s been our secret weapon,” said Mitchell. “With everything that’s happened, people coming and going, Caitlin being out, it’s hard for a pro to step up and stay grounded. But Aari’s done that.”
Friday’s game kicked off a pivotal four-game road trip for Indiana, who sit just half a game behind both Seattle and Phoenix — teams they’ll face during the stretch. A win over Phoenix would secure a season-series tiebreaker, while a victory over Seattle could set up a chance to clinch the series when the Storm visit later this year.
And though it’s unlikely, if the Fever sweep their road trip and New York (facing Connecticut and Dallas twice) drops three straight, Indiana could climb as high as second place in the standings.
Even if that scenario doesn’t play out, the fact that it’s even a possibility shows just how far the Fever have come and how much more they could still achieve.
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