For the primary time in 10 years the Indiana Fever have been victorious in a playoff sport on Tuesday evening, incomes a decisive 77-60 win over the Atlanta Dream at a raucous Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The win evens the best-of-three collection at one sport apiece, forcing a win-or-go-home Recreation 3 in Atlanta on Thursday evening.
It has been a very long time coming for the Fever within the playoffs
Tuesday’s win ends a reasonably in depth drought for the Fever in terms of playoff success. Previous to this sport, Indiana’s most up-to-date playoff win got here on October 11, 2015 in Recreation 4 of that 12 months’s WNBA Finals towards the Minnesota Lynx. It has been so lengthy that solely 4 present members of the Fever have been even within the WNBA after they final gained a postseason sport.
It is a fair larger accomplishment for the Fever inside the context of this season as a result of they’re nonetheless persevering with to play effectively and compete with out the providers of their greatest participant, Caitlin Clark.
For the reason that Fever’s earlier playoff win, they misplaced the deciding Recreation 5 of the 2015 WNBA Finals, misplaced a first-round one-and-done sport in 2016, missed the playoffs seven years in a row and have been then swept in two straight video games by the Connecticut Sun within the first-round of the 2024 playoffs. In addition they misplaced Recreation 1 of this 12 months’s collection towards Atlanta.
Dominant protection and balanced scoring led to Recreation 2 win
Tuesday’s sport was a medical defensive efficiency by the Fever as they restricted Atlanta to only 60 factors, and permitting them to shoot simply 37.9% from the sector and solely 5-of-19 from three-point vary.
Rhyne Howard solely scored 10 factors — the one Dream starter to achieve double-digits — whereas she completed as a team-worst minus-24 in her 33 minutes of basketball.
On the opposite aspect of the ground, Indiana had three gamers attain double-digits, together with Kelsey Mitchell who completed with a game-high 19 factors. Aliyah Boston (15 factors) and Natasha Howard (12 factors) additionally reached double-digits within the win.
One of many extra underrated stars of the sport for the Fever was Lexie Hull who completed with seven factors and a game-best plus-19 ranking in her 23 minutes of basketball.
