
The injury-plagued Indiana Fever have been resilient all season long, but the Fever find themselves with their backs are against the wall yet again.
The No. 6 seed Fever dropped Game 1 against the No. 3 seed Atlanta Dream 80-68, despite a 27-point performance from veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell. The Fever now must win Game 2 of the best-of-three first-round WNBA playoff series on Tuesday to keep their Cinderella season alive.
‘We shot ourselves in the foot and weren’t able to capitalize on the things that make us great,’ Mitchell said after the Game 1 loss. ‘We hurt ourselves in a lot of different areas that impact being able to make plays and do what we wanted on the offensive end. Once we stop doing that, we give ourselves more of a chance to be who we are.’
It wasn’t a particularly great shooting night for either team. The Fever were held to 34.9% from the field and 2-of-15 from beyond the arc, compared to Atlanta going 38.6% from the field with seven made 3s.
WNBA PLAYOFFS WINNERS, LOSERS: Las Vegas Aces dominate, Alyssa Thomas falters
DREAM VS. FEVER, GAME 1: Dream pull away from Fever in Game 1 of WNBA playoffs 2025
Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard each scored 20 points for the Dream. Naz Hillmon added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Brionna Jones had 12 points and three steals in the win.
Here’s what you need to know now about Game 2 between the Dream and Fever:
What time is Atlanta Dream at Indiana Fever?
The Indiana Fever host the Atlanta Dream at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT) on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Indiana Fever stars arrive for Game 2
The Indiana Fever have arrived in style to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, which is hosting a ‘red out’ for Game 2.
Atlanta Dream is in the building
The Dream have arrived to Gainbridge Fieldhouse and are ‘ready to take care of business.’
Indiana Fever injury report: Is Caitlin Clark playing?
The Fever will be without 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) for Game 2 vs. the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday.
Atlanta Dream injury report
The Dream are expected to have all players available for Game 2.
Indiana Fever ‘Stranger Things’ jerseys
The Indiana Fever will don their ‘Stranger Things’ alternate uniforms for Game 2 of the WNBA Playoffs.
The team first wore the jersey with the ‘Stranger Things’ font on the front in 2021.
Where to watch Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever: TV, stream
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. PT)
- Location: Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis)
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+, Disney+, Fubo (free trial to new subscribers)
Atlanta vs. Indiana WNBA playoffs schedule
- Game 1: Dream 80, Fever 68
- Game 2: Dream at Fever, 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday (ESPN)
- Game 3: Fever at Dream, TBD Thursday (ESPN2)
Aliyah Boston stats
Boston, the 2023 WNBA rookie of the year, averaged a career-high 15 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 44 games this season. She recorded eight points, 12 rebound and five assists in 34 minutes of work in the Fever’s Game 1 loss on Sunday.
Indiana Fever roster
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.