Indiana Fever HC Voices 20-Second Discomfort Amid Chasing Rare Milestone in Caitlin Clark’s Absence

The Indiana Fever are in the midst of the most pivotal moment of the season. With the final third of the 2025 WNBA season already underway, pressure is mounting on the team. Navigating through all this, the Indiana Fever have risen to the challenge and have embarked on a franchise record, 5-win streak. What makes it all even more impressive is that they’ve done it with their talismanic guard, Caitlin Clark. Now for the next step, getting a rare four-game win streak.

Missing since before the All-Star break, Caitlin is making progress, but is still some ways away from her return to play. After losing two straight games immediately after CC’s injury, it seems like the Fever players and head coach have finally decoded a way to cope with Caitlin’s absence. Their key to finding this success lies in the strength of the collective group. Coach Stephanie explained the same after their latest win against the Seattle Storm.

She said, “I think it says a lot about this group. We’ve got a deep team. We’ve got a great mix of veterans who have been in this league and understand the ebbs and flows and understand that injuries are a part of it, and young players who continue to grow in their role and continue to gain confidence.” Stephanie White’s comments could not be truer. The Fever’s win streak has included some valuable contributions from veterans like Natasha Howard (21 points vs the Seattle Storm) and some gritty performances from Aliyah Boston (22 pts and 12 reb vs the Phoenix Mercury).

However, if you thought that Stephanie White was settling in comfort after their latest win, think again. Despite the five straight wins and consolidating playoff position, Stephanie White displayed some discomfort in the post-game press conference after the Seattle Storm almost stole the game with an 8-0 run in the late game. Run. She said, “We didn’t do quite as good a job anticipating action and communicating screens. We got fortunate that they didn’t fall. The last possession that Gabby looked at, we were trying to take a foul in that situation so that we wouldn’t give them another look. It either didn’t get called or didn’t foul her enough; I’m not sure. But we tried to minimize those opportunities.”

Stephanie White’s concerns about the late-game execution resulting in a loss are fair. With a 12-point lead at the 4:43 minute mark, the Fever were expected to get the comfortable win. However, a late-game surge by the Storm almost resulted in a collapse. The situation got so bad that with 8.1 seconds left in the game, the Seattle Storm had a chance to tie the game. Gabby Williams launched a 26-foot 3-pointer to tie the game. Thankfully for the Indiana Fever, the ball did not go in, and Aliyah Boston grabbed the rebound and made the subsequent free throw to ice the game.

This isn’t the first late-game collapse the Indiana Fever have had. In their first meeting with the New York Liberty, the Indiana Fever lost out in another close game due to a late-game foul, resulting in a loss in a game where Indiana held a double-digit lead early in the fourth quarter. However, a win is a win. Now that the Indiana Fever has notched its fifth straight win, the focus moves on to the next game and a chance to achieve another rare feat, a fourth consecutive road win. 

Supporting Cast Rises Against Seattle Storm After A Rare Kelsey Mitchell Off-Game

The Indiana Fever have had a highly complex season owing to Caitlin Clark’s nagging injuries. Having played in just 13 games this season, the Indiana Fever were at a risk of losing significant ground in the hunt for a playoff spot. However, to repay the faith shown by the Fever organization when they brought her back, Kelsey Mitchell has minimized the impact of Caitlin Clark’s injuries. 

With her career-best scoring season and her ever-present 3-point shooting capabilities, Kelsey Mitchell has led the Indiana Fever to a position where they can focus on planning for the playoffs rather than worry about making them. Thanks to her impressive season, Caitlin Clark has been afforded enough time to heal properly and come back even stronger. However, in the Indiana Fever’s latest win, Kelsey Mitchell had a rare off-game this season. 

She scored just 9 points on a 3-16 struggling shooting night. However, in her absence, others rose to take up the mantle. With veteran Natasha Howard leading the team with 21 points, Kelsey Mitchell’s off-game was nullified. Natasha was also helped with Sophie Cunningham’s efficient 17 points, which included an incredible 4-5 night from beyond the arc. Young All-Star Aliyah Boston also had her say on the game with a dominating 16-point and 12-rebound double-double. 

With a 5-game win streak already achieved, the Indiana Fever have now set their sights on dominating teams at their home. In their next game against the Los Angeles Sparks, the Fever would try to get their fourth straight road win. Will they be able to pull it off? Or will the momentum finally stop? We’ll find out tomorrow night…