There were many smiles. Bree Hall was doing a small dance under the basket to Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” — it was blaring through the Gainbridge Fieldhouse speakers — while collecting rebounds. Big cheers followed each Fever player out of the tunnel. Shey Peddy, who had an important first half with seven points and two steals, launched three-point shots from the right corner with a grin on her face. The team huddled up and finished their prep for the second half with 64 seconds on the clock. They were free yet secure.
“Nobody has us winning. So we’ve been doing this whole series with no pressure,” Peddy told The IX of the team’s mentality in moments like that one. “And that’s a dangerous team, when they play with no pressure.”
For a moment, that attitude didn’t lead to instant success — the Aces went on a 5-0 run to open the third frame. But a timeout called by head coach Stephanie White helped everyone regroup, and the Fever lead was back to seven halfway through the quarter. They never trailed again. Finding the right mindset was key for Indiana, and they never looked back.
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In the end, the final score was 90-83 in favor of the sixth-seeded Fever. They were able to find consistent offense thanks to dominant, defense-bending play from their star players — Aliyah Boston finished with 24 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists while Mitchell had 25 points and four assists. Those two opened up the floor for others, which allowed for big nights from the likes of Lexie Hull and Odyssey Sims.
It was a strong team effort from the Indiana Fever, who found a way into the paint and felt the impact of a strong game from their bench. They embodied the “we over me” mantra that they’ve been sharing all season.
That motto created a supportive atmosphere around the team and organization. Players feel included and surrounded by others who believe in them as players and people. On the court, it’s the team. Off the court, it’s families — Sims walked off the floor with her son postgame, then was chasing him around, literally, in the tunnels of Gainbridge Fieldhouse while her teammates fielded questions nearby. “It means everything. I love my son to death,” Sims said of those moments. “Everybody knows that, and I’m just happy that he was able to come this weekend. So my heart is full.”
Things like that, and games like Game 4, are how culture and resilience are built. The Indiana Fever, facing elimination, came together to beat an Aces team that was up 2-1 in the series and could punch their ticket to the WNBA Finals with a win. They rose to the challenge and battled with their backs against the wall to come away with the victory. Indiana is now 3-0 when facing elimination in this postseason — they have more wins in that setting (three) than victories in all other playoff outings (one).
And that’s why this team believes they can keep going in this series and on this magical journey. The WNBA Finals is in reach. Just one more win is needed. If the Fever’s sum is greater than its parts, they think they can beat anyone.
Peddy has been to the championship series before, with the Phoenix Mercury back in 2021. She sees similar qualities between that team and her current one. “Oh, yeah. The fight and the hunger. I told them after we won the Atlanta series, like, I really think we have a chance to go to the finals,” Peddy said Sunday night. “Everybody’s working hard. It’s a we over me mentality. Nobody’s being selfish out there and we really want it.”
The veteran guard explained that after the Fever beat Atlanta, she felt that mentality click even more for the group. It’s shown in this series. Few picked the Fever to win, yet here they are, one win away from their fourth WNBA Finals appearance.
Boston’s activity and defense plus Mitchell’s general gravity were present throughout the night. But different heroes emerged from the role player group at different points in time. Sims found her scoring rhythm again in the third quarter. Natasha Howard was strong early, then emerged on defense in the fourth frame. Peddy was rock solid in the second period. Hull had several terrific moments sprinkled in through the action, and her defense on Jackie Young is vital to the Fever’s operation.
That’s why, despite the game being close on the scoreboard basically all night, Indiana always felt in control. There was always someone on the floor stepping up and ready to go — a requirement this deep in the playoffs.
White recognized the importance of having so many players step up. “I think we were the aggressor, and usually when we’re aggressive and we move the ball, good things happen for us,” White said. “We attacked, we played with a sense of urgency, and we made the right reads and the right plays. The ball moved really well. We found the open player, and we got production from multiple players.”
The Fever aren’t just providing lip service when they say “we over me” or “we all we got, we all we need.” They mean it and show it with their actions. It shows up in their results, and one more in their favor will put them in a best-of-seven against the Mercury for a shot at the title.
They can’t look ahead to that stage yet. First, the connected group has to finish off the Aces. Peddy did that on her 2021 journey to the WNBA Finals and knows what it takes. “Everybody,” she said. “Everybody, especially on their court [in Vegas], they’re going to be loud, they’re going to be aggressive. So we got to match the intensity and take it up another notch.” Thankfully for the Fever, if they have everybody, they’ve got a chance to win.
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