Indiana

Fever

Mitchell experienced a scary episode during the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game, which the Aces would win in overtime. The veteran guard experienced severe cramping in her legs and required assistance to return to the locker room. Taken to a Las Vegas area hospital, Mitchell said via statement Wednesday afternoon that she was dealing with a case of rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition in which the muscles break down, and toxic components of the muscle fibers can enter the bloodstream and kidneys. The condition can also cause numbness and a feeling of paralysis, which is why Mitchell was unable to remain standing at the time. Mitchell said in her statement that, while she is walking slowly, she would be doing fine “very soon.” With the Fever decimated by injuries, Mitchell led the way and carried the team to within one win of the WNBA Finals.

Sims willed the Fever after Kelsey Mitchell checked out of the game with a serious injury with a bit over five minutes left in the third quarter. She became their number one option, someone who could create offense via her ability to get into the paint. That’s part of the reason why both she and Mitchell played so well together. Sims scored 14 of her 27 total points in the fourth and overtime periods and she attempted and made six free throws during those two periods as well. Sims made sure to find Natasha Howard moving off the ball, as she found her four times on Tuesday night. Sims had two more assists throughout the game that went to Mitchell prior to her injury and Aliyah Boston.

Howard did a little bit of everything for the Fever on Tuesday night. She scored moving off the ball while getting on the offensive glass and and play making. Howard completed the Fever’s second most assists with five, second to Odyssey Sims who finished the game with five. She found Lexie Hull for three scores in addition two more assists going to Aliyah Boston and Shey Peddy. Howard scored two of her most important shots in the fourth and overtime periods as her willingness to roll and move in space helped the Fever keep pace with the Aces for most of the game.

After Boston took 13 free throws in Game 4, the officials were less forgiving to the Fever’s center in Game 5. She got into foul trouble in the second quarter getting called for three fouls in that quarter alone. Then during the third quarter Boston picked up two more. She ended up fouling out with just 27 seconds left in the fourth quarter right after the Fever had tied the score at 84. Boston’s contributions mostly happened on the glass where she was responsible for 40% of the Fever’s total rebounds.

Mitchell made a three-pointer with 5:45 remaining in the fourth quarter when her leg collided funny with Aces Forward A’ja Wilson. Once the Fever got to their next offensive possession, Mitchell drove and the whistle blew charging her teammate Aliyah Boston with an offensive foul. After that call Mitchell fell to the ground and was down for a while in a lot of pain and took a while to get up. At one point a stretcher came onto the floor to help her up, but she was able to leave with two staffers helping her get to the locker room. In Mitchell’s place, Shey Peddy has played in extended minutes in addition to Aerial Powers.

With four rotation guards out for the season due to injury, Sims has been an unsung hero for the Fever since joining the team in mid-August. After averaging 10.3 points and 4.0 assists per game in 12 regular-season appearances, the veteran guard has scored 17 points or more in three of the four games of the semifinals. Sims may not have offered much beyond her scoring in Game 4, but that was enough to supplement the excellent performances of Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. Game 5 is on Tuesday in Las Vegas, with the winner headed to the WNBA Finals.

After struggling with her shot and only attempting two free throws in Indiana’s Game 3 defeat on Friday, Boston was far more aggressive with the Fever’s season on the line two days later. She attempted nine free throws in the third quarter alone, carrying most of the offensive workload for the Fever. Boston answered the call, recording a robust stat line and bringing the aggression needed to extend Indiana’s season. She’ll need to take that effort on the road for Tuesday’s winner-take-all Game 5 in Las Vegas.

Despite being decimated by injuries throughout the season, the Fever are one win away from the WNBA Finals, and Mitchell has been the catalyst. She’s scored at least 19 points in six of Indiana’s seven postseason games and has put up 21 or more in three of the first four games of the semifinals. After shooting a combined 12-of-40 from the field in Games 2 and 3, Mitchell got back on track Sunday afternoon, making 45 percent of her attempts while also being second on the team in assists. The decisive Game 5 is on Tuesday in Las Vegas.

Dantas has been in the league’s concussion protocol since Indiana’s first practice preparing for the postseason and has missed the entirety of the Fever’s ongoing playoff run. With Dantas unavailable, Brianna Turner has played consistent rotation minutes off the bench, with rookie Makayla Timpson receiving a slight boost to her playing time.

Boston’s presence was felt on the defensive end on Friday, despite tallying only two stocks. The third-year center battled with A’ja Wilson throughout the night and made life difficult for the 2025 MVP, who at one point was shooting 1-of-12 from the floor. However, Boston had her own difficulties on the other end of the floor — she shot inefficiently for the second time this series and finished as the team’s leader in turnovers. A repeat of Friday’s defensive performance will help the Fever in Game 4, but she’ll likely need to find more offensive production along the way if they want to extend their season.