The Indiana Fever defeated the Atlanta Dream in overtime on Sunday evening, securing a 95-91 victory with significant implications for playoff positioning. The matchup featured high stakes, as both teams entered in the top five of the standings, with the Fever in fourth place at 22-12 and the Dream in fifth at 21-12. The winner of the contest would gain a substantial advantage in the race for one of the top four seeds, which carries home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The Fever mounted a comeback from a 10-point second-half deficit, with the game tied 81-81 in the final seconds of regulation. The Dream had three opportunities to win in the closing moments but failed to convert, with Rhyne Howard’s attempt ultimately finding Angel Reese, whose putback rimmed out. Naz Hillmon also missed a putback attempt, forcing overtime.
Caitlin Clark finished with 26 points and nine assists, falling one assist short of recording her fourth consecutive 20-point, 10-assist performance. Makayla Timpson delivered a standout performance off the bench with 20 points, seven rebounds, and a block on 9 of 13 shooting, including a crucial six-point run in overtime. Aliyah Boston contributed 18 points along with 14 rebounds, four assists, five steals, and three blocks. Kelsey Mitchell also extended her WNBA record 20-point streak to 19 games with a clutch layup in the extra period.
With the victory, the Fever improved to 23-12 and now sit one and a half games ahead of the Dream in the standings. The win extended Indiana’s recent success, as the team has won four consecutive games and 11 of their last 14 contests. The Fever now possess a 63% chance of earning a top-four seed, an achievement they have not accomplished since the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2016 to eliminate conference affiliation. Nine games remain in the regular season, with the Fever two victories away from setting a single-season franchise record.
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