Injuries have plagued this squad all season—star Caitlin Clark and four others sidelined for the year—but resilience has been their calling card. Facing elimination, they responded with a performance that had the 16,682 fans at Gainbridge roaring like it was the 2015 Finals. Mitchell, fresh off a 27-point explosion in Game 1, was surgical, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. Her third-quarter heroics, including a steal that set up a buzzer-beating three by Lexie Hull, turned a tight game into a runaway train. “We responded when we were supposed to,” Mitchell said postgame, her voice steady but her eyes blazing with intent.
Boston, the Fever’s anchor, was just as relentless. The All-Star forward muscled through Atlanta’s defense, dropping 7-of-12 shots and snagging five boards. Her layup with 8.8 seconds left in the third sparked a 7-0 run to close the quarter, capped by Hull’s dagger three off a Shey Peddy steal. “The energy, everyone felt it,” Boston said, grinning as she recalled the crowd’s eruption. That five-point flurry in nine seconds wasn’t just a highlight—it was a statement. The Fever outscored the Dream 24-15 in the third, ballooning their lead to 59-44, and stretched it to 24 in the fourth, letting their stars rest down the stretch.
The bench, often a question mark for Indiana, answered with 15 points, including nine from Makayla Timpson and seven from Hull. Natasha Howard chipped in 12 points and five rebounds, proving the Fever’s depth can match their star power. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s high-octane offense, ranked second in the WNBA for offensive rating, sputtered. The Dream shot a dismal 37.9% from the field and 5-of-19 from three, with Te-Hina Paopao (11 points) and Rhyne Howard (10 points) the only players reaching double digits. All-Star Allisha Gray, who torched Indiana for 20 points in Game 1, was held to nine, visibly rattled after a fourth-quarter clash with two courtside fans, who were promptly escorted out.
The Dream’s struggles weren’t just offensive. Foul trouble plagued their stars—Naz Hillmon and Brionna Jones each picked up two early fouls—while Indiana’s defense, led by Mitchell’s quick hands and Boston’s presence in the paint, forced tough shots and turnovers. “They made some key plays defensively,” Jones admitted. “We needed to match that better.” Atlanta’s lone bright spot was a brief third-quarter rally, cutting the lead to 40-37, but the Fever’s 27-7 run spanning the third and fourth quarters buried any comeback hopes.
Now, the series shifts to Atlanta for Thursday’s winner-take-all Game 3 at 7:30 p.m. The Dream, who haven’t won a playoff series since 2016, face a Fever squad riding a wave of confidence and a raucous home crowd’s energy. “This was super big for us,” Boston said. “Giving ourselves another chance in Game 3, emotions are high.” Mitchell echoed the sentiment: “It’s a big opportunity, but you gotta move on.” Can Atlanta’s All-Stars—Gray, Howard, and Jones—flip the script at home? Or will the Fever, fueled by Mitchell’s fire and Boston’s grit, storm into the semifinals? One thing’s certain: playoff basketball at Gainbridge Fieldhouse is a spectacle, and this Fever surge is rewriting the script.
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