The Indiana Fever began the 2025 season with a clear goal: they wanted a championship. Various members of the team and coaching staff identified the trophy as their driving force heading into the season — and then multiple disasters hit hard, including injuries and the unexpected departure of a vet who was touted as someone who would lead the team to that end.
But the team doggedly refused to give up, despite fan skepticism directed as the roster, the coaches, and the overall plan. Fans, hungry for both a dominant season for the team and especially for Caitlin Clark, have had to sit tight while the Fever learned to play with and without their sophomore star. And, happily, it's starting to look like all of that was worth it.
ESPN's WNBA Basketball Power Index currently indicates the Fever has a 99.0% chance of making the playoffs, and if they keep playing well, that percentage will only rise. The top 8 teams make the playoffs at the end of the season, and it hasn't always been clear that the Fever would end up there.
There are a few factors that slowed the team down this year: a new coach, a new system, and a new roster will do that. But it's clear that Clark rotating in and out of play had a huge impact on what the team could and couldn't do; her teammates learned to play one way with her, and another way without her, something that could have resulted in a complete wash of the 2025 season and a rebuild next year.
Instead, the Fever has focused, and players are locking in. Multiple athletes have commented that they're playing with a group mentality — it's not hero ball, and when one person needs to step up, they simply do it. That's resulted in wins that matter and is a huge reason why the team is in serious playoff contention now.
The road there won't be completely stress-free — the Fever plays the Mercury Thursday night before heading into a series of games that should be a bit easier (they will play the Sky, Wings, Mystics, and Sun in the coming week). That schedule should set the team up for a strong battle against the Lynx at home on August 22, when hopefully Clark will be back on the court in top form and the vision for a healthy Fever roster can be fully realized.