Kelsey Mitchell, Stephanie White Pinpoint Fever Fixes After Playoff Loss to Dream

Now the Fever return to Indianapolis on the brink of elimination, their 2025 campaign hinging on Tuesday night's win-or-go-home clash.

"We gotta be the one to punch first," Mitchell affirmed postgame. "When they punched us, they punched us hard, and so we got to do the same thing vice versa in order to get our momentum and get our rhythm."

While Indiana landed the first punch in Game 1 with a 15-6 start, it was Atlanta's counter blow that proved decisive. Ignited by a 22-12 second-quarter surge, the Dream seized control, never once trailing in the second half.

"It's gonna be a gutcheck win if we wanna win," the eighth-year guard continued. "Who's gonna dig deeper, who's gonna take the extra punch, the extra step, the extra 50-50, the extra everything is important going into Tuesday."

Fever Must Tighten Up Performance in Do-Or-Die Clash Against Dream

Perhaps they'll draw some extra motivation from a spirited home crowd. Thanks to a rejiggered WNBA playoff format that guarantees a home game for both teams, Indiana will host Game 2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse -- its first postseason game since 2016.

"I think it gives ourselves a chance just to stay in the hunt of things," Mitchell acknowledged. "I would like to think that being back at home could kinda give us a sense of comfort. Hopefully, we can use it for what it's worth and not take it for granted."

That carries some weight coming from Indiana's longest-tenured player.

For a Fever fanbase that endured plenty of hardship before the arrival of Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, Tuesday night marks a long-awaited homecoming. Few know that better than Mitchell, who weathered one of the franchise's darkest stretches before guiding Indiana to a second straight playoff berth.

But a substantial home-court advantage is only one part of the recipe. If Indiana is to force a series-deciding third game, they need to make tangible improvements, particularly on the offensive end. Of course, when facing one of the best defenses in the WNBA, that's easier said than done.

"I thought we got a little stagnant, we held the ball a little bit too much," head coach Stephanie White reflected. "We got a little tunnel-visioned on trying to get it on the first or second look, and they're a really good defensive team. That's not gonna happen -- and if it does, it's because of a breakdown."

Atlanta held the Fever to 68 points on Sunday, their fifth-lowest offensive output all season. It showed most prominently from beyond the arc, where Indiana shot at a season-worst 13.3% clip, making just two of 15 shots.

Indiana managed to keep the three-point heavy Dream to a respectable 7-of-22 from three-point land, but could not overcome their own lack of success from deep.

"We just didn't do a good enough job of countering with making some," White acknowledged. "We've gotta take our open shots -- whether we're making shots or missing shots -- we gotta take them. We can't get hesitant, and I thought we did a little bit at times."

Controversial officiating compounded the Fever's struggles, forcing White to remove Boston during a pivotal fourth-quarter stretch. Indiana's gripes with Sunday's officials are valid, but no amount of protesting changes the result -- a muddled second half that tempered hopes of a comeback.

Heading into Tuesday's elimination game, avoiding foul trouble is a focus for White and her staff.

"We gotta limit the free throw line, and doing so, that allows us to play in rhythm and play in flow," the Fever head coach stated. "It was just too choppy in the second half."

Indiana can hope for better officiating, but unless a sharper on-court product comes with it, another swift first-round exit awaits.