Fever, 'at our greatest' dealing with elimination, drive Recreation 5 – ESPN

Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell mix for 49 factors to spice up the Fever to a win in Recreation 4 over the Aces. (1:09)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Fever have discovered themselves with their backs towards the wall time and time once more this season, together with Sunday in Recreation 4 towards the second-seeded Las Vegas Aces, Indiana’s third time dealing with elimination this postseason.
However the stakes do not appear to faze them — actually, as Fever coach Stephanie White mentioned afterward, “it is after we’ve been at our greatest.”
The No. 6 seed Fever rallied from two consecutive losses to win Recreation 4, 90-83, and drive a winner-take-all Recreation 5 on Tuesday in Las Vegas (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2).
Quick-handed Indiana, which has been with out star Caitlin Clark and 5 different gamers as a result of harm, continues to beat the chances because it now finds itself one win away from the WNBA Finals. The Fever have received 4 video games as underdogs this postseason, essentially the most by any group for the reason that 2021 Chicago Sky (who went on to win the championship), and their three wins in elimination video games are essentially the most by any group in a single postseason for the reason that 2022 Connecticut Sun.
“The desperation and the urgency that we play with after we’re in these positions has been precisely what we’d like,” White mentioned. “And we have simply obtained to bottle that up and take it with us. It is a one-game season proper now, and we have to hold it throughout, and we have to be higher.”
After a tricky Recreation 3 loss by which the Fever let the brakes fall off within the fourth quarter, Indiana led for practically 35 minutes Sunday, utilizing an 11-2 run to enter halftime up 46-38. Then, an enormous second half from heart Aliyah Boston helped beat back any Las Vegas comeback try.
Boston compiled 17 factors and 9 rebounds within the remaining 20 minutes, capturing 11 free throws within the third quarter alone. Her 24 complete factors marked a playoff profession excessive. She joined franchise legend Tamika Catchings as the one Fever gamers to file 20 factors, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in a playoff sport.
“We have watched a number of movie,” Boston mentioned of her massive sport, “and I feel for me, simply engaged on my positioning, making an attempt to get earlier seals, that was the main focus for me tonight.”
The Fever had been buoyed by sturdy nights from guards Kelsey Mitchell (25 factors) and Odyssey Sims (18); these two plus Boston mixed for 67 factors.
“I feel we had been the aggressor,” White mentioned. “And normally after we’re aggressive and we transfer the ball, good issues occur for us. We attacked, we performed with a way of urgency. We made the correct reads and the correct performs.”
Added Sims: “We knew as we speak was a must-win. Our backs had been towards the wall, so we needed to come out with somewhat bit extra hearth than we did on [Friday], not play relaxed and particularly not allow them to go on massive runs. I feel we did an ideal job as we speak after they did go on their runs, we minimized them, and we had been aggressive defensively.”
The Aces — who’re nearing a 3rd Finals look in 4 years — had been propelled by four-time league MVP A’ja Wilson (31 factors), the one participant in league historical past to file a stat line of at the least 30 factors, 3 steals and three blocks in a playoff sport (and he or she’s performed it twice).
However Las Vegas turned the ball over 17 instances, which was 25 Indiana factors, and was displeased with its protection.
“We all know what we’re alleged to be doing for positive,” Aces coach Becky Hammon mentioned. “That is Recreation 4, however you continue to have to return on the market, and our pickup factors at all times inform me type of the place we will be at, and so they weren’t good.”
The Aces obtained inside two within the fourth quarter however the Fever held regular. A Mitchell jumper by contact with a minute remaining put Indiana up seven and despatched the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd to its toes. With about 30 seconds left, the Aces had been assessed a technical foul after Hammon took an extreme timeout, and a transformed free throw from Mitchell put the Fever again forward by eight.
“An excellent old style mistake,” Hammon mentioned of the incident. “We have now to be sharper there for positive.”
The Aces indicated they weren’t pleased with the officiating, because the Fever shot 34 free throws to their 11.
When Wilson identified it was “attention-grabbing” that 4 of her teammates had 4 or 5 fouls, Hammon responded, “By attention-grabbing, you imply that is s—?”
“I did admire it was somewhat tighter name,” Hammon mentioned, “however tighter on each ends would have been good.”

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