The Fever (20-18) moved up from eighth to sixth in the WNBA standings after a commanding 95-75 win over the Seattle Storm (20-19) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday. From tip-off, Indiana played with urgency, quickly building a 32-point lead. Aliyah Boston, who led the charge, credited the team’s chemistry and locker room vibe for helping them pull away and secure the big win. It was the kind of performance that shows the Fever aren’t just surviving without Caitlin Clark—they’re thriving.

Following the game, Boston explained just how crucial the win was and the mindset the Fever have carried all season. She said in her 27-second message, “Yeah, I mean going into this game, we talked about that this was going to be a big game for us um considering the standings where Seattle was, but you know, going into the West Coast trip, I mean right now we’re just going to focus on LA. Um that’s kind of been our motto this entire season is just focus on the game ahead of you, be where your feet are. And so starting tomorrow, we’re going to be looking at LA. Um, but I mean these this next string of games definitely important for us, but we got to take it one game at a time.”

The Fever came into the matchup fully prepared, knowing they needed a full 40-minute effort, especially after back-to-back losses to the Minnesota Lynx, where hot starts in the first half fizzled out in the second. Head coach Stephanie White stressed attention to detail and staying locked in for the entire game as keys to improvement. “No doubt, I think every game is like a playoff game at this point,” coach White had demanded pregame. “But it is one game at a time, and Seattle is the most important opponent for us…We can’t get caught watching standings. We can’t get caught looking too far ahead. It’s got to be right now and Seattle and making sure that we’re the best that we can be today.”

Indiana delivered exactly that on Tuesday, dominating from start to finish. They led by six after the first quarter, extended it to 11 at halftime, and pushed the lead to as many as 20 in the third, never letting the Storm get within 10 for the rest of the game. The win was huge in the standings too—Seattle dropped to 7th at 20-19.

Injuries have plagued Indiana all season, but they avoided serious setbacks this time despite a few scary moments. Early in the first quarter, Lexie Hull collided heads with Gabby Williams, sending both players to the floor. Hull spent time in the locker room but eventually returned, and Shey Peddy also briefly exited near halftime after being poked in the eye, returning shortly after. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark missed her 16th straight game with a right groin injury, and Sydney Colson (foot) and Aari McDonald (ACL) are out for the season. Sophie Cunningham is done for the year after MCL surgery, and Chloe Bibby sat out with a left knee injury.

The calmer, one-game-at-a-time mindset seems to be paying off for Indiana. Aliyah Boston credited that approach after the win, while coach White echoed the same focus, pushing her team to maintain that discipline while also ramping up the pressure for a playoff push, while having multiple opportunities to rise in the standings, with games against Golden State, Los Angeles, and Chicago coming up before the end of the season.

Can Indiana stay sharp, one game at a time, against the Sparks?

Indiana is laser-focused on their upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 29th, and head coach Stephanie White didn’t mince words about the stakes. “It was huge. I mean, you know, every game at this point in the season is is is huge and this was a big one for us,” she said after Tuesday’s win over the Storm. White also praised the team’s effort and mindset, adding, “I’m proud of this group. Continued to rise to the occasion… And, you know, now we get a day off and then we got to we got to make sure that we’re we’re locked in now on the on the most important opponent, which is going to be LA.” With Indiana at 20-18 and the Sparks at 17-19 following their 84-92 loss to Phoenix, both teams will be looking to gain ground in the standings.

The last time these two teams met was on August 5, and it was a tough outing for the Fever. Indiana opened hot, going five-for-five on their initial possessions, with Kelsey Mitchell scoring 10 points and Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard adding six each in the first quarter to give the Fever a 28-27 lead. But the Sparks took control in the second quarter, outscoring Indiana 28-16 to go into halftime ahead 54-43.

Los Angeles kept rolling in the second half, opening the fourth quarter on a 14-4 run and leading by as many as 22 points. The Fever rallied late with an 18-2 run to cut the deficit to six with 1:30 left, but couldn’t close the gap. Kelsey Mitchell finished with 34 points and six assists, Boston had 15 points and nine rebounds, while Rickea Jackson and Kelsey Plum led the Sparks with 25 points each, Azura Stevens added 19, and Dearica Hamby had 16.

It will be interesting to see how the Fever handle the rematch with their “one game at a time” mindset firmly in place. With playoff positioning still up for grabs, this next game will be a real test of resilience and execution for the Fever.