Fever fall short of WNBA Finals berth, lose to Aces in Game 5 of semifinals

LAS VEGAS — The Indiana Fever fell just short of a WNBA Finals berth Tuesday night at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas.

The Fever lost to the Aces, 107-98, in overtime of a decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Semifinals.

The Fever were without MVP finalist and All-Star Kelsey Mitchell for much of the second half and overtime Tuesday. Mitchell exited the contest during the third quarter with an injury. She required the assistance of Indiana’s trainers to get back to the locker room.

The Fever quickly ruled her out for the game, though the exact nature of the injury she sustained is unconfirmed. Mitchell had scored 15 points before she was forced out of the game.

Indiana’s other All-Star, center Aliyah Boston, was also limited during the contest. She was in foul trouble for much of the second half, as she picked up her fifth foul during the third quarter and fouled out with fewer than 30 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.

The foul trouble confined Boston to 32 minutes on the contest and left the Fever without two of their top players for all of overtime. Boston managed 11 points and 16 rebounds while she was on the floor. Boston’s efforts on the glass helped the Fever outrebound the Aces, 40-21 on the contest.

Even with Boston and Mitchell limited, the rest of Indiana’s roster put forth an impressive effort to keep the game close. All five of the Fever’s starters finished the game with double-figure scoring totals, and guard Shey Petty poured in 13 points off the bench.

Reigning WNBA MVP A’Ja Wilson played a major role in the Aces’ effort to secure a spot in the WNBA Finals, amassing 35 points and eight rebounds in Tuesday’s game. Las Vegas also received key contributions from Jackie Young, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft out of Notre Dame. Young racked up 32 points and 10 assists.

The Aces also forced 21 turnovers on the game, scoring 31 points off of those turnovers. Las Vegas turned the ball over just eight times, and Indiana only managed seven points off of those turnovers.

Las Vegas will play the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA Finals. The best-of-seven series will begin on Friday at 8 p.m.

Mitchell’s injury punctuated an already injury-riddled season for the Fever.

Caitlin Clark, the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, played just 13 games for the Fever in 2025. She dealt with a groin injury for much of the season, but when she was able to play, she averaged 16.5 points, five rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.6 steals a game.

The Fever also lost a pivotal contributor when Sophie Cunningham went down with a season-ending knee injury in August. Cunningham was putting up 8.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game before she got hurt.

Indiana’s backcourt depth took a significant hit in August, when guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald both suffered season-ending injuries.

The piling up of injuries vaulted many players who weren’t even on the Fever’s roster at the beginning of the season into coach Stephanie White’s rotation. Point guard Odyssey Sims — who started in Tuesday night’s game and scored 27 points — was among those players.

Indiana will also need to work to re-sign vital members of this year’s team ahead of next season. Both Cunningham and Mitchell will be free agents this offseason.

The Fever’s coaches and players will participate in exit interviews with reporters at a later date to recount their 2025 campaign.