Fever clinch playoff spot, first winning season in a decade
Despite season-ending injuries & constant roster changes, Indiana rolled past Washington 94-65 to secure back-to-back postseason berths. Plus, Aerial Powers in a car accident, Clark Kellogg celebrated
The Indiana Fever are on to the playoffs.
In a roller coaster of a season that has taken dozens of twists, turns, and uphill climbs, the Fever secured one of eight playoff spots for the second consecutive year on Sunday by handedly beating the Washington Mystics 94-65.
“I feel proud of these women and what they've been able to continue to do,” head coach Stephanie White said afterward. “I feel proud that we continue to raise the standard for ourselves and for one another.
“I look at this group and the roots that have been grown throughout the course of this season and thinking about not just where we are now and the opportunity that we have in the playoffs, but where we're gonna be in the future.”
There’s certainly a lot of intrigue about the future. And we’ll get there.
But right now, it remains about the present. All season, it’s about who is available.
Aerial Powers is the newest member of the team, the 18th different player to suit up for the team this season. She joined the team from overseas on Aug. 23 and on Saturday, she was signed to a rest-of-season contract. That also enables her to be on the active roster for the postseason.
Powers was impressed right away by the team’s professionalism and their stick-to-itiveness. In particular, she remembers veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell sharing something so simple, yet so meaningful.
We all we got and we all we need.
“It's been amazing coming in,” said Powers. “You never wanna be the person that's not giving energy, not giving to your team.”
She isn’t just playing spot minutes. Powers was the team’s second-leading scorer in Sunday’s win with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists in 27 minutes.
Mitchell, by the way, ranks third in the WNBA in scoring — behind only A'ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier — averaging a career-high 20.3 points and 3.4 assists per game. As I wrote several weeks ago, she absolutely belongs in the conversation for WNBA MVP.
Mitchell is also one of four Fever players who will play in every game of this trying season, along with Lexie Hull, Natasha Howard, and Aliyah Boston.
On Sunday afternoon, the Fever trailed by one at the end of the first quarter, but then held the Mystics to 27 points in the second half. They scored 27 points off 22 turnovers — and that was the game.
The blowout was on and the Fever have, again, reached the playoffs.
Remarkable given that there’s been a lack of players available this season. Most notably, Caitlin Clark. She appeared in just 13 games and last week, was officially ruled out for the season.
She became the fifth Fever player in the last month to suffer a season-ending injury.
“I don't think, thinking back to the beginning of the season that anyone would have ever foreseen it going like this,” White said. “And for whatever reason, things happen and you've got to continue to put your best foot forward.
“… We talked so much about being selfless early in the year because we knew we had quality depth and not everybody was gonna get a play. And it sort of manifested itself in a different way — selfless in that we've had to give of ourselves, continue to give of ourselves throughout the course of the year in different ways.”
It helped make for a fantastic weekend for Indiana sports fans.
Fever went 2-0, secured a playoff spot
Indiana and Purdue football won
and the Colts pummeled the Dolphins for their first Week 1 win since 2013
Indiana is 23-20 (.534) with one regular-season game remaining: Tuesday, v the Minnesota Lynx. It’s also fan appreciation day.
They’ve secured a playoff spot and, for the first time in a decade, finished with a winning record.
You have to go back to 2015 — when the team finished 20-14 (.588) and reached the WNBA Finals in Stephanie White's first season as Fever head coach.
They played 34 games then. Now, in the same amount of time, the scheduled has been stretched to 44 games.
“Just being someone in this locker room, you never doubt yourself and what you're capable of no matter what happens,” Boston said. “I think the entire staff up to the (front office) just made great decisions when people went down on who to bring in, the type of people to bring in. And that was really our mindset.
“We never doubted ourselves. We never doubted that we could be in the playoffs. Even if things looked like it got harder for us, it's about sticking together. And I think through everything, you're able to see that us playing with joy, us playing together regardless of who's on that floor.”
While Seattle and Los Angeles battle it out for the final playoff spot, the Fever will finish either in sixth or seventh. The Golden State Valkyries, an expansion program, surprised everyone this year with their success. They will claim the other spot.
That likely means a Game 1 in either Las Vegas or Atlanta come Sunday. But once they get through Tuesday’s home finale, they’ll enjoy several days to reset, rest, and focus for the three-game series.
Aerial Powers Escapes Injury in Pregame Car Accident
File under you can’t keep making this up part 5234 for this season.
Powers was involved in a car accident Friday before the team handled the Chicago Sky for the fifth time this season.
She discussed the incident, a failed lane change by someone else, in her latest vlog on YouTube.
“I mean, the rest of the team is injured,” someone in her video said to her on the side of the highway.
My goodness. True … but not exactly reassuring after a concerning moment for anyone, especially someone who is new to the team and this city.
I'm on the freeway driving like normal, and the lady must have didn't see me and went to merge over to her right, and she had to merge very hard because she hit the back of this car. If somebody would get in the back seat, she hit that door, and the way I spun, it didn't make any sense. I go on the correct speed limit, and the way she must have just really didn't see me in turn. And my car was like, I'm like, oh, Lord, please don't let this flip.
After the wreck, Powers said it was important for her to get her mind right before another needed win. They had not yet clinched a playoff spot.
We was about to play Chicago. And I had to just get my mind right. You know what I'm saying? I had to get right. Because we needed that game. And then guess what? We needed tonight's game (against the Mystics). I came right home from the airport to talk to y'all.
And more:
Can we talk about the journey? This team has been resilient. Gritty. And I'm so blessed to be a part of this. But now it's time to surprise some people. It's time to surprise some people when we get in the playoffs, baby. I appreciate all the love and support.
Kellogg, Rose, and Catchings Highlight Hall of Fame Weekend
The annual Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement weekend was just held. Did you follow or are you only just now learning about it?
Because it felt more like the latter, unfortunately.
The only ones I saw sharing about it on social media were my friends in media who were there to cover it.
Former Pacer Clark Kellogg was inducted into Hall of Fame after being the recipient of the Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award.
The Ohio native played at Ohio State (1979-1982), then was selected eighth overall in the 1982 NBA Draft by the Pacers. He would play for them — and only them — until 1987, when he retired due to chronic knee issues.
He was a guest of the Fieldhouse Files podcast back in 2016. Listen below.
You may not remember this, but he worked for the Pacers in multiple capacities.
CK transitioned into being the radio analyst — briefly, before moving into TV — and was Mark Boyle’s first partner.
“(He) went out of his way to help me learns the ins and outs of the NBA,” Boyle tweeted. “It makes me feel good to see him recognized with an award that is the gold standard in our business.”
CK also delivered an incredible speech at a celebration of life for George McGinnis in Jan. 2024.
Former Pacer Jalen Rose was celebrated over the weekend as well. He was the honoree of the Ice Cube Impact Award.
“It’s truly an honor to be recognized by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with the Ice Cube Impact Award,” Rose said. “Cube is family, and we share an unwavering dedication to giving back to the communities that raised us. Basketball created opportunities for us in different ways and has allowed both of us to make a lasting impact beyond the court. I’m grateful for this recognition and proud to be celebrated in the Hall’s museum.”
Tamika Catchings was also there after being asked by Maya Moore to be one of her five presenters. (Click here to watch Moore’s speech.)
