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Indiana Fever Catch Huge Break Ahead of Final Game Before WNBA Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Sep 8, 2025 6:43 PM ET

The Indiana Fever (23-20) clinched a postseason berth on Sunday with a dominant 94-65 win over the Washington Mystics.

Their playoff seed, however, is still undecided. Currently sitting in the No. 7 spot, the Fever could drop to No. 8 with a loss Tuesday against the league-best Minnesota Lynx and a win by the Seattle Storm. That scenario would set up a tough first-round matchup against the top-seeded Lynx.

Before Indiana takes the floor, though, the Fever caught a major break. Minnesota has already decided to rest star forward and MVP favorite Napheesa Collier, ruling her out for Tuesday’s game.

Napheesa Collier won’t be playing against the Fever tomorrow. https://t.co/aYAg3yRKMt
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) September 8, 2025

That decision is a huge boost for Indiana, who badly need a win to avoid facing the Lynx in the opening round. A victory could instead set up a matchup against either the Las Vegas Aces or the Atlanta Dream, currently in line for the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds.

There’s even a slim chance for Indiana to climb to the No. 6 spot and leapfrog the Golden State Valkyries, but that would require the Fever to win while Golden State loses its final two games.

No matter where they land, simply reaching the playoffs is a victory in itself. Indiana has been without star point guard Caitlin Clark for most of the season, and she’s just one of five players on the roster lost to season-ending injuries. Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald, and Chloe Bobby will also be sidelined for the postseason.

Even so, in head coach Stephanie White’s first year, the Fever have consistently found ways to compete. All-Stars Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell have been the driving forces behind their surprising success.

Both Boston and Mitchell have appeared in every Fever game this season and Boston is currently averaging 15.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, while Mitchell is leading the team with 20.3 points per game.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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