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The Indiana Fever, despite fighting tooth and nail, suffered a tough loss in Game 5 of the semifinals. Shortly after falling to the Las Vegas Aces 107-98 in overtime during Tuesday’s do-or-die contest, Caitlin Clark shared a heartfelt message to the fans as the Fever’s campaign came to an end.
Clark posted on X for her teammates and the fans, reflecting on how positive the season was for them, even with the heartbreaking finish.
“So much to be proud of ❤️❤️ shoutout the fans for staying with us all year❤️❤️🙏🏻 @IndianaFever,” Clark wrote.
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The Indiana Fever were not expected to even reach the postseason, let alone defeat the Atlanta Dream in the first round and then push A’ja Wilson and the Aces all the way to a decisive Game 5. Their run was made even more remarkable as Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson and Chloe Bibby missed long stretches of the season with injuries.
Indiana Fever nearly upset Las Vegas Aces without Caitlin Clark
After stunning the Atlanta Dream in the opening round of the playoffs, many fans and analysts thought the Indiana Fever had reached their limit. Most expected the Las Vegas Aces to cruise through the semifinals and secure a spot in the finals.
But Indiana wasn’t ready to go down without a fight. The Fever began the series with a statement win, backed by Kelsey Mitchell’s 34-point explosion, as Stephanie White’s team pulled away for an 89-73 victory.
The Aces quickly regained control by winning the next two games, and with momentum on their side, most assumed they would finish the job in Game 4. Instead, Mitchell rose to the occasion once again. Her 25 points resulted in the Fever to a 90-83 win, forcing a decisive Game 5.
Heading into the final matchup, Las Vegas held the clear advantage. They had won nearly 77% of their home games this season and entered as heavy favorites. For much of the night, they were in the driver’s seat. But the Fever never backed down, clawing back from a nine-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter to force overtime.
Unfortunately, Indiana ran out of gas and they just couldn’t keep up with Las Vegas anymore. The loss resulted in Caitlin Clark and co.’s season coming to an end.
