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September 07, 2025: Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton wearing Edgerrin James jersey during pregame of NFL, American Football Herren, USA game against the Miami Dolphins at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. /CSM Indianapolis United States of America - ZUMAc04_ 20250907_zma_c04_346 Copyright: xJohnxMersitsx
The Indiana Fever ended the season with a 28-16 record and established a WNBA record by averaging 96.0 points per game. Despite strong performances from Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, the Las Vegas Aces secured a 94-83 victory in Game 3.
Reaction came swiftly from the NBA. Tyrese Haliburton, guard for the Indiana Pacers, made a short comment to the Fever through his X account right after they were eliminated.
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 11: Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark 22 throws a pass against the New York Liberty on August 11, 2026, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire WNBA, Basketball Damen, USA AUG 11 New York Liberty at Indiana Fever EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26081143
"Helluva season @IndianaFever," Haliburton said.
They ended the regular season at 28-16 with a new WNBA record of 96.0 points per game, thanks to the scoring power of the most potent backcourt in the WNBA, Clark and Mitchell, even though Clark was dealing with a back problem from earlier in the season.
Reaching a deciding game against the reigning champions only added weight to that message.
In the postgame press conference, after Fever coach Stephanie White pointed out that her team got 20 free throws while the Aces had 35, Clark commented, "Hm, interesting."
Aces star A'ja Wilson made 12 of her 36 points from the free-throw line, and Clark was injured on a hard foul that went uncalled. Clark had a shooting percentage of 6-of-18 and had six turnovers.
Those facts go hand in hand with a larger issue of how the Fever will be next season.
Fever Face a Critical Offseason After a Narrow Exit
What's next for the Indiana Fever then? Well, first off, it will be important to look at how close the game was for Indiana.
They started by going toe-to-toe with the Aces in the first quarter as the score was 31-31, 54-48 by halftime, and they twice brought the deficit to only two points.
Wilson scored 11 of 18 shots and had 10 rebounds, while Chelsea Gray, who is a player with the Aces, added 23.
Another Aces player named Jackie Young added 18, while Fever forward Myisha Hines-Allen added 12 points and rebounds.
However, the greater test will lie in free agency, where Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham will both be available after their contracts run out, while the Fever still need another great player alongside Clark and Boston.
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Written by
Utsav Gupta
Edited by
Utsav Gupta