Every great story needs a turning point, and for the Indiana Fever, 2025 has been defined by both promise and pain, with Caitlin Clark at the heart of it all. The Fever once held a proud WNBA record with 12 straight playoff appearances from 2005 to 2016. Then came a decade of silence. Clark’s arrival broke that drought, taking Indiana back to the postseason for the first time in ten years.

But here’s the gut-punch: As much as fans want it, this year’s run wasn’t driven by Clark. In fact, the Fever reached the playoffs despite her missing more games than she played. Ravaged by injuries, Indiana stitched together the scrappiest of lineups, going down five key players. But in doing so, they inadvertently made a rare WNBA pattern which is quite unseen in other teams. What is that pattern? Fever player Aliyah Boston puts it best as welcoming players to the Fever squad.

Unlike the norm, the Fever has not released any injured player from its roster. This was evident from the team photo on September 5, which featured a lengthy roster of 16 players for Indiana. Sharing her disbelief over this on the Post Moves podcast alongside Candace Parker, Boston said, “Honestly, when we took that team picture, we laughed a lot cause we were like: How is this real? We were like, this is the biggest team picture in WNBA history. It has to be.”

Despite losing players like Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and Chloe Bibby, the Fever management has opted to keep them in the roster. According to the WNBA, each WNBA team has a minimum roster size of 11 players and a maximum roster size of 12 players, as outlined in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). But with 5 of them out for the season, this allows the team to sign 4 more players above the current limit. With the newcomers, Odyssey Sims, Aeriel Powers, and Shey Peddy, coupled with returnee Bree Hall, they make one giant roster. The team has gone through nine starting five iterations before landing themselves a playoff spot.

The problem here is that it’s not only the players who are injured. Keith Porter, the Indiana Fever Player Development Coach is also down with a torn Achilles last week. So as Candace Parker rightly says, “So the injury bug has definitely bit you. But despite that again, despite put it on a t-shirt, um, you all are still in the playoffs, and you know, going to compete for a championship.”

This was all thanks to the welcoming attitude of the Fever squad. Earlier, Boston claimed they accepted the new players quickly, as their postseason hopes depended on that. “Like whoever came in, whenever they came in, we just knew that, okay, welcome to the Fever squad. We are going to be ready to compete.” And compete they did. Eight-year veteran Kelsey Mitchell put on a show that compared to MVP-caliber players. She made a Fever record, becoming the new franchise leader in PPG in a single season (20.2), passing Tamika Catchings.

Boston herself put together a career-best year. 15.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting a blistering 53.9 percent from the floor, one of the league’s top marks. Indiana is even pushing for her to land on an All-WNBA Team, deservedly so. While the big roster may provide the team with ample emotional support from the bench, the reality is they won’t be able to fight their on-court battles. And the journey becomes all the more arduous when looking at the playoff scenarios.

Caitlin Clark’s final stretch: What’s at stake for the Fever’s playoff push

Now, with a playoff berth secured, it all comes down to seeding. The Fever will slot in as either the sixth or seventh seed, depending on tomorrow’s results. It is a huge improvement from last season, where they managed to break even at a 20-20 record. Talking about this season, Fever will be the 6th seed if the Valkyries lose to the Lynx. Alternatively, they will remain in the seventh spot if the opposite happens. Furthermore, their opponents might change based on the last few games left.

With Atlanta and Las Vegas locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the second seed, Indiana’s path is all about timing and opportunity. Atlanta’s defense has been rock-solid all season, allowing just 77.2 points per game, while Rhyne Howard’s scoring runs have been the backbone of their push. Las Vegas, on the other hand, rides high on A’ja Wilson’s dominant inside game and a 14-game win streak that’s been grinding down opponents. Indiana’s playoff fate hinges not just on their own games but on how these two juggernauts perform in the final stretch—and with tie-breakers potentially coming into play, every point scored or allowed could make all the difference.

The challenge won’t just be about where they land in the bracket—it’s about how they match up once they get there. Atlanta’s fast-paced, defense-first approach under coach Tanisha Wright could put extra pressure on Kelsey Mitchell’s ball-handling, while Las Vegas’ balanced attack gives little room to exploit. But the Fever aren’t going into this blindly; Aliyah Boston’s rebounding, Natasha Howard’s defensive grit, and the team’s “welcome-all” spirit have kept them competitive even against these top teams. With coach Stephanie White having already navigated one of the toughest seasons on paper, the Fever’s playoff run could very well be defined by how they continue to adapt in high-pressure matchups.

However, Las Vegas is on a hot 15-game win streak, rampantly beating any team that comes in front of them. But the message from Fever head coach White is loud and clear: “The message is, you know, we’re not happy to just be in the playoffs. We want to compete in the playoffs. We want to be a team that is competing for championships. And in order to compete for championships, you don’t play the score. You don’t play the opponent. You play the standard.”

With the fates of postseason in the hands of the new Fever roster, it will be interesting to see which team they face first.