The 2025 WNBA season has been anything but straightforward for the Indiana Fever.
After an up-and-down campaign defined by injuries, the team managed to close out the regular season on a strong note.
Despite losing Caitlin Clark and several other key contributors, Indiana pieced together a late surge with three consecutive wins, ultimately grabbing the No. 6 seed in the playoff bracket.
That rally has shifted perceptions of the team. What looked like a lost year has turned into a postseason opportunity, and according to Sue Bird, the Atlanta Dream may find themselves in serious trouble against an Indiana squad that has rediscovered its identity.
Sue Bird breaks down the Fever’s hidden edge
On her “Bird’s Eye View” podcast, Bird explained why this first-round series feels so unpredictable.
“The reason why this series is interesting is cause these two teams haven’t played each other. Like these two teams haven’t really played each other,” she said.
“Obviously, Indiana is the team that’s been hit the absolute most by injuries, so they feel totally different, but they’ve kind of found themselves a little bit. Then you have Atlanta. They’ve had the injury bug a little bit, too. Not as much as Indiana, but you have a player like Jordin Canada who’s been out for a decent chunk of time and is now just back in the lineup. So, it’s not, you’re not gonna base it off anything from the regular season,” Bird said.
Although the season series was split evenly, all four matchups were finished by mid-July, long before Indiana lost Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, and Aari McDonald.
On paper, the Fever are weakened. Yet, Bird suggested that what Indiana brings to the floor now could actually create new problems for Atlanta.
“To me, the Fever, what they’re bringing is just like a grit. They’re just gritty about it. They find ways to win. They find ways to stay in games. I don’t know. It might come down to, can Aliyah Boston kind of have an impact, not just in the paint, but the way she playmakes against Atlanta’s bigs,” she said.
Aliyah Boston’s growing influence
While Kelsey Mitchell has stepped into the leadership role after Clark‘s injury, Boston has quietly become the deciding factor for Indiana.
Averaging 15 points and 3.7 assists per game, the second-year center has expanded her offensive game, using her passing vision to punish defenses that collapse on her in the post.
Her track record against the Dream is especially notable. Across their four regular-season contests, she averaged 13.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, numbers that underscore her ability to dictate the game on multiple fronts.
She also collected 17 double-doubles this year, placing her among the league’s most dominant frontcourt players, trailing only the likes of A’ja Wilson, Angel Reese, and Alyssa Thomas.
The Dream, meanwhile, face depth concerns at center. Their gamble on Brittney Griner never fully materialized, and much of the responsibility inside has shifted to Brionna Jones.
Her assignment in this series is clear but daunting: contain Boston without falling into foul trouble or ceding control of the boards.
As Bird emphasized, Indiana’s grit and Boston‘s versatility could tilt the matchup. Even without their rookie sensation Clark, the Fever may have found the exact formula to cause problems for Atlanta, and perhaps pull off one of the most surprising playoff upsets of the season.
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