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Fever\u2019s depth fuels playoff surprise<\/p>\n
USAT’s Meghan Hall and Sam Cardona-Norberg break down how the Fever overcame injuries with depth and coaching to reach the semifinals.<\/p>\n
Sports Seriously<\/p>\n
The Las Vegas Aces<\/a> are one win away from heading back to the WNBA Finals and can finish off their semifinals series by beating the Indiana Fever<\/a> in Game 4 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Sunday, Sept. 28.<\/p>\n The Aces, who have been to the Finals three times since 2020, won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. They had four of five starters in double-figures led by Jackie Young’s 25 points. NaLyssa Smith added 16, Chelsea Gray 15 and A’ja Wilson 13. Dana Evans had 10 points off the bench.<\/p>\n “We had to do it collectively,” Aces coach Becky Hammon said. “We know we are better as a group.”<\/p>\n The Fever, who have lost five players including Caitlin Clark to season-ending injuries, will try to stay alive.<\/p>\n “We are literally the Cinderella team right now,” Fever guard Sophie Cunningham said<\/a> on her podcast “Show Me Something.”<\/p>\n “If you are thinking about with all of our adversity and everything we’ve been through, like we’ve seen it all. And now we just have to go perform because like we deserve to be here and like if everyone’s healthy, we 100 percent deserve to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n What time is Aces vs. Fever Game 4?<\/p>\n Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals series between the No. 2 seed Las Vegas Aces and No. 6 seed Indiana Fever is scheduled to tip off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sept. 28 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n How to watch Aces vs. Fever WNBA playoffs: TV, stream for Game 4Date: Sunday, Sept. 28Time:\u00a03 p.m. ETLocation:\u00a0Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)TV:\u00a0ABCStream:\u00a0Fubo<\/a>,\u00a0ESPN Unlimited<\/a><\/p>\n Stream Fever-Aces series on Fubo (free trial)<\/a><\/p>\n End of Q1: Fever 23, Aces 21\u00a0<\/p>\n The Fever don\u2019t want their season to end. All five of Indiana\u2019s starters scored in the first quarter, led by nine points from Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (3-of-7 FG, 2-of-2 3PT). Aliyah Boston added five points and three rebounds. The Fever are shooting 45% from the field including 3-of-5 from the 3-point line.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Aces don\u2019t want a decisive Game 5.\u00a0Aces center A\u2019ja Wilson leads all scorers with 10 of Las Vegas\u2019 21 points, followed by four points from NaLyssa Smith. The Aces are shooting 58.8% from the field, but 1-of-5 from 3.<\/p>\n A\u2019ja Wilson surpasses\u00a01K playoff points<\/p>\n Las Vegas Aces center A\u2019ja Wilson is making more history. After becoming the first player in league history to win four WNBA MVPs, Wilson became the seventh player to score at least 1,000 postseason points. Wilson is the third fastest to reach that milestone, with only Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart doing it in fewer games.\u00a0<\/p>\n A’ja Wilson, Kelsey Mitchell hot early<\/p>\n Game 4 between the Aces and Fever is underway in Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Fever have never lost back-to-back games at home in the postseason and Kelsey Mitchell is doing her best to make sure that doesn’t happen with a hot start in the elimination game. Mitchell scored six of the Fever’s first 11 points as the Fever have a 17-14 lead with 4:13 remaining in the first quarter.<\/p>\n Aces center A’ja Wilson also bounced back from a subpar performance in Game 3 with eight points, shooting 4-of-5 from the field to open the game, in addition to two steals.<\/p>\n WNBA starting lineupsLas Vegas Aces starting lineup<\/p>\n Head coach:\u00a0Becky Hammon<\/p>\n Indiana Fever starting lineup<\/p>\n Head coach:\u00a0Stephanie White<\/p>\n Indiana Fever injury report<\/p>\n Chloe Bibby (left knee), Caitlin Clark (right groin), Sydney Colson (left knee), Sophie Cunningham (right knee), Damiris Dantas (concussion protocol) and Aari McDonald (right foot) have all been ruled out for Game 4.<\/p>\n Status Report for today’s game vs. Las Vegas:<\/p>\n Chloe Bibby – Out (left knee) \u2014 Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 28, 2025<\/a>WNBA officials for Game 4<\/p>\n Game 4 between the Las Vegas Aces and Indiana Fever will be officiated by Isaac Barnett, Randy Richardson and Jenna Reneau. It’s the same crew that officiated the Phoenix Mercury’s 84-76 Game 3 win over the Minnesota Lynx, which featured a controversial and chaotic ending. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve was ejected <\/a>from the winning seconds for arguing several non-calls and ripped the “awful” officiating crew postgame.<\/a><\/p>\n “The officiating crew that we had tonight, for the leadership to deem those three people semifinals playoff worth is f—ing malpractice,\u201d Reeve\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0in an expletive-filled rant. “F—ing awful.”<\/p>\n Reeve was suspended for Game 4<\/a> for her comments.<\/p>\n WNBA MVP: A’ja Wilson wins for record fourth time<\/p>\n A’ja Wilson<\/a>\u00a0was\u00a0named the WNBA\u2019s Most Valuable Player<\/a>\u00a0for the 2025 season. She is the first four-time MVP, besting three-time winners Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie and Lauren Jackson.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wilson received 51 of 72 first-place votes and 21 second-place votes (657 points) from a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The\u00a0Las Vegas Aces<\/a>\u00a0center won the award over finalists\u00a0Minnesota Lynx<\/a>\u00a0forward\u00a0Napheesa Collier<\/a>\u00a0(534),\u00a0\u00a0Phoenix Mercury<\/a>\u00a0forward\u00a0Alyssa Thomas<\/a>\u00a0(391),\u00a0Atlanta Dream<\/a>\u00a0guard\u00a0Allisha Gray<\/a>\u00a0(180) and\u00a0Indiana Fever<\/a>\u00a0guard\u00a0Kelsey Mitchell<\/a>\u00a0(93).<\/p>\n Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson stats<\/p>\n Wilson averaged a league-leading 23.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists (ties her career-high), a league-leading 2.3 blocks and 1.6 steals in 40 games this season. Wilson averaged 29.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the Aces’ first-round playoff series against the Seattle Storm, including a 38-point performance in Game 3, tying her playoff career high. However, she was held to 16 points in the Aces’ Game 1 loss to the Fever, shooting a dismal 27.2% from the field.\u00a0Wilson bounced back with 25 points, nine rebounds and five steals in the Aces’ Game 2 win, but scored 13 points shooting 30% from the field in an off night in Las Vegas’ Game 3 win.<\/p>\n Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Michell stats<\/p>\n Mitchell averaged a career-high 20.2 points during the regular season, the third-highest in the league. Mitchell<\/a>\u00a0had a game-high 34 points in the Fever’s Game 1 win over the Aces in Las Vegas, but has been held to 13 points shooing 28.6% from the field in Indiana’s Game 2 loss and finished with 21 points shooting 30.8% from the field in the Fever’s Game 3 loss.<\/p>\n Kelsey Mitchell has been carrying the Indiana Fever \u2014 it’s time everyone noticed<\/p>\n In a tumultuous season defined by injuries and resilience,\u00a0Indiana Fever<\/a> guard\u00a0Kelsey Mitchell<\/a>\u00a0has remained a constant.<\/p>\n Mitchell has, in fact, been a constant for the Fever organization ever since she was drafted No. 2 overall out of Ohio State in 2018. She’s endured ups and downs during her eight-year career in Indiana, including six losing seasons and five different head coaches, enough turmoil to send any top pick packing.<\/p>\n But Mitchell never bailed and the 29-year-old is now leading the Fever’s improbable postseason charge.<\/p>\n “There have been multiple times this season where (Mitchell) has put us on her back and she’s carried us,” Indiana head coach Stephanie White\u00a0said<\/a>\u00a0on Sunday after the\u00a0Fever upset the Las Vegas Aces 89-73<\/a>\u00a0to steal Game 1 of the WNBA playoff semifinals behind\u00a0Mitchell’s 34-point performance.<\/a>\u00a0Full story\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sophie Cunningham says Aces are using ‘junk defense’ to stop Fever<\/p>\n Sophie Cunningham<\/a>\u00a0broke down why the\u00a0Indiana Fever<\/a>\u00a0are struggling on offense. The Fever went close to nine minutes without scoring a field goal in Game 3 on Friday in Indianapolis. The injured Fever guard said the\u00a0Las Vegas Aces<\/a>\u00a0adjusted after her teammate,\u00a0All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell, came out hot<\/a>\u00a0in Game 1.<\/p>\n “First game in Vegas … we were just on our s— and like it was, it was good from the jump.” Cunningham said on her podcast “Show Me Something,” which dropped during the Fever’s Game 3 loss on Friday.<\/p>\n Mitchell scored 34 points as the Fever took the first game on the best-of-five WNBA semifinals series from the Aces in Las Vegas. The Aces, though, have come back to win the last two games and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Cunningham shared her thoughts on the reason. She said Aces turned to a “junk defense.” Full story here.<\/a><\/p>\n Caitlin Clark injury timelineMay 24:\u00a0Clark suffered a left quad injury during the\u00a0Fever’s 90-88 loss to the New York Liberty<\/a>, where she recorded a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Clark couldn’t pinpoint the specific play that caused her injury, but noted that it happened early in the contest. Clark said, “Adrenaline covers up a lot of stuff when you’re in the heat of battle. After the game, I had some pain, and then we got an MRI, and that kind of gave me the result that I didn’t want to see.” She missed the Fever’s next five games.June 14:\u00a0Clark returned to Indiana’s lineup in the\u00a0Fever’s 102-88 win over the Liberty<\/a>\u00a0and dropped 32 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in her first game back.\u00a0June 24:\u00a0Clark suffered a left groin injury in\u00a0the Fever’s 94-86 win<\/a>over the\u00a0Seattle Storm<\/a>, which resulted in Clark missing the team’s next four games. Fever coach\u00a0Stephanie White said<\/a>\u00a0she learned of Clark’s groin injury the following night after Clark alerted team trainers of discomfort.July 1:\u00a0Clark was ruled out of\u00a0the Fever’s 2025 Commissioner’s Cup win<\/a>\u00a0over the\u00a0Minnesota Lynx<\/a>\u00a0in Minneapolis. That didn’t stop\u00a0Clark from rightfully celebrating the team’s hardware<\/a>.July 9:\u00a0Clark returned to the Fever’s lineup in the\u00a0Fever’s 80-61 loss to the Golden State Valkyries.<\/a>\u00a0Clark was limited to 10 points, shooting 4 of 12 from the field and 2 of 5 from the 3-point line, and had six assists, five rebounds and four turnovers. Following the blowout loss, Clark said it was “going to take me a second to get my wind back. … Just trying to get my legs under me.”July 15:\u00a0Clark suffered a right groin injury in the final minute of the Fever’s 85-77 victory over the Sun at TD Garden in Boston. White later confirmed Clark “felt a little something in her groin.” This marked the last game for which Clark suited up.July 18:\u00a0Clark announced<\/a>\u00a0that she would sit out the\u00a02025 WNBA All-Star Game<\/a>\u00a0in Indianapolis, where she was named a team captain. Clark was also set to participate in the 3-point contest. She said, “I am incredibly sad and disappointed to say I can’t participate … I have to rest my body.”July 24:\u00a0The\u00a0Fever said Clark’s medical evaluations<\/a>\u00a0confirmed there’s “no additional injuries or damage,” but the team said it will be cautious with Clark’s rehab and recovery.Aug. 7:\u00a0Clark reportedly suffered a mild bone bruise in her left ankle during an individual workout session in Phoenix, according to\u00a0The Indianapolis Star<\/a>, part of the USA TODAY Network.Aug. 8:\u00a0During an appearance on\u00a0Sue Bird’s podcast, “Bird’s Eye View,”<\/a>\u00a0Clark\u00a0spoke<\/a>\u00a0about the frustrations of her injury-filled season: \u201cIt\u2019s not like I have a training camp to build up to play in my first game again. It\u2019s like no, you\u2019re tossed into Game 30 \u2014 like, \u2018Go try to play well.\u2019 It\u2019s hard, it really is.\u201dAug. 10:\u00a0Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark has progressed in her recovery and has started running full court again, but Clark hasn’t returned to practice just yet: an important step in her ramp-up. “She’s been able to get a little bit more in her full-court running with all of her body weight. … She’s been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not into practice yet,” White\u00a0said.<\/a>Aug. 20:\u00a0White confirmed that Clark has not returned to practice yet.Aug. 24:\u00a0Clark participated in a team shootaround<\/a>\u00a0and went through some non-contact drills with the second team, marking her first time practicing with the team since suffering a right groin injury on July 15.Sept. 4:\u00a0Clark shared a post on her official X account, stating that she will miss the rest of the regular season and any potential postseason action.2025 WNBA Finals schedule<\/p>\n *if necessary<\/p>\n DateGameMTime (ET)TV ChannelFri, Oct. 31Mercury at Aces8:00PMESPNSun, Oct. 52Mercury at Aces3:00PMABCWed, Oct. 83Aces at Mercury8:00PMESPNFri, Oct. 104Aces at Mercury8:00PMESPNSun, Oct. 125*Mercury at Aces3:00PMABCWed, Oct. 156*Aces at Mercury8:00PMESPNFri, Oct. 177*Mercury at Aces8:00PMESPNWNBA champions by yearYearChampionRunner-Up2024New York LibertyMinnesota Lynx2023Las Vegas AcesNew York Liberty2022Las Vegas AcesConnecticut Sun2021Chicago SkyPhoenix Mercury2020Seattle StormLas Vegas Aces2019Washington MysticsConnecticut Sun2018Seattle StormWashington Mystics2017Minnesota LynxLos Angeles Sparks2016Los Angeles SparksMinnesota Lynx2015Minnesota LynxIndiana Fever2014Phoenix MercuryChicago Sky2013Minnesota LynxAtlanta Dream2012Indiana FeverMinnesota Lynx2011Minnesota LynxAtlanta Dream2010Seattle StormAtlanta Dream2009Phoenix MercuryIndiana Fever2008Detroit ShockSan Antonio Silver Stars2007Phoenix MercuryDetroit Shock2006Detroit ShockSacramento Monarchs2005Sacramento MonarchsConnecticut Sun2004Seattle StormConnecticut Sun2003Detroit ShockLos Angeles Sparks2002Los Angeles SparksNew York Liberty2001Los Angeles SparksCharlotte Sting2000Houston CometsNew York Liberty1999Houston CometsNew York Liberty1998Houston CometsPhoenix Mercury1997Houston CometsNew York Liberty<\/p>\n The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news \u2014 fast.\u00a0Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Caitlin Clark – Out (right groin)
Sydney Colson – Out (left knee)
Sophie Cunningham – Out (right knee)
Damiris Dantas – Out (concussion protocol)
Aari McDonald – Out (right foot) pic.twitter.com\/EcZFA8i5XP<\/a><\/p>\n