Fever leap another hurdle, stay alive in G2 rout

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Fever have dealt with adversity all season long, losing star Caitlin Clark and four others to season-ending injuries and each time finding ways to rally after being knocked down. Trailing 0-1 in its best-of-three first-round series against the Atlanta Dream, the team needed to respond with its best effort yet to stave off elimination.

The Fever did just that Tuesday night, making a statement that they aren't done yet with a 77-60 throttling of the No. 3-seeded Dream. Indiana, the No. 6 seed, led wire-to-wire and jumped ahead by as many as 24.

"This group has continued to show their heart and their character, night in and night out," Indiana coach Stephanie White said.

The Fever gave the crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse a night to remember in their first home playoff game since 2016. They snapped a nine-season streak without a playoff win, the second-longest drought in WNBA history, and marked the franchise's second-largest postseason victory when facing elimination.

"We knew they'd come out and be competitive," Atlanta coach Karl Smesko said. "They've been resilient all year."

Under the WNBA's new 1-1-1 playoff format, the winner-take-all Game 3 for a spot in the semifinals will be held Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Atlanta, with the start of the semifinals looming on Sunday.

"Our backs were definitely against the wall in this, and we know that we've just been through so much this season," Fever star Aliyah Boston said. "Coming out with this win and then giving ourselves another chance in Game 3, emotions are high."

The Fever took control at the end of the third quarter behind a 7-0 run in the final 44 seconds of the frame. A late 3-pointer from Lexie Hull off a steal put Indiana up 15 and sent the Gainbridge crowd and Fever bench into the loudest frenzy of the evening.

The Fever built off that momentum to start the fourth, ultimately stringing together a 27-7 run that put the game away.

"We have seen our team have lapses from game to game," said Kelsey Mitchell, who had a game-high 19 points. "I felt good about the fact that we responded when we were supposed to."

After an 80-68 Game 1 loss in which they collapsed down the stretch, the Fever asserted their will on both ends Tuesday night. The group found more success offensively than on Sunday, with Boston (15 points) and Natasha Howard (12) joining Mitchell in double figures. Indiana also converted eight 3s after being held to two on Sunday.

The Fever shined defensively, too, holding Atlanta to its second-lowest point total in a game this season, as well as 5-for-19 shooting from 3-point range. Top guards Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray were limited to a combined 19 points on 7-for-25 shooting.

"They were aggressive defensively," Smesko said. "They were super physical. ... We're going to have to shoot it better, but we've got a lot of really talented offensive players, and I think we'll get it going next game."

In Game 3, the Fever will have the chance to secure their first playoff series victory since 2015; for the Dream, it would be their first since 2018.

"I've got a lot of confidence in this team," Smesko said. "I truly believe we'll play our best game in the series next game."

Added White: "This is a group that's confidence has really never wavered. We've been in every kind of situation you can imagine, and we've been able to find ways to put ourselves in position to win. And this will be no different."