"ATLANTA -- DJ Khaled's "All I Do Is Win" was blaring, and Atlanta Dream fans were still celebrating as Indiana Fever stars Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark walked off the floor after suffering an 80-68 loss in Game 1 of their opening round series of the 2025 WNBA playoffs. Clark, not in uniform after being ruled out for the season Sept. 4, patted Mitchell on the back after her 27-point performance, a playoff career high. The two covered their mouths to evade lip-readers as they chatted before Clark wrapped her arm around Mitchell and walked into the tunnel."
"This wasn't how this season was supposed to go for the Fever: Clark, fresh off a dazzling Rookie of the Year campaign, alongside four others relegated to the bench with season-ending injuries, and Indiana on the brink of a first-round playoff exit. But the Fever are accustomed to playing with their season on the line. This is the latest challenge they have faced in a topsy-turvy season. Most of Indiana's games during August and September, players and coaches said, were played with playoff-level urgency."
Indiana Fever lost Game 1 of the 2025 WNBA opening-round series 80-68 to the Atlanta Dream, with Kelsey Mitchell scoring a playoff-career-high 27 points. Caitlin Clark, ruled out for the season Sept. 4, walked off the floor and consoled Mitchell after the game. Multiple season-ending injuries sidelined four other players, leaving Indiana facing a potential first-round exit. The team fought until the final day to clinch the playoffs, edging the Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics for a second straight postseason berth. Coach Stephanie White called the roster "hungry" and urged them to "scare the hell out of this league."
Read at ESPN.com
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