Following an 89-73 win by No. 6 seed Indiana over No. 2 seed Las Vegas from Michelob ULTRA Arena in Game 1 of the best-of-five WNBA semifinals series on Sunday afternoon, Fever head coach Stephanie White lauded the team’s collective unity as a critical part of why they are just two wins away from a WNBA Finals berth.
“What I’m just so proud of with this group is it doesn’t matter who’s on the floor, it doesn’t matter who’s on our roster, they give each other the freedom to be themselves. They empower one another to be themselves and to be the best version of themselves. And every time we’ve had a change, every time we’ve brought someone in, every time we’ve had rotational changes, they’re for each other.
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“They live the ‘we over the me’. And when you have that, it just gives you opportunities to do really special things,” White said.
Given the five season-ending injuries that each could have been a dagger to the team’s playoff hopes down the stretch of the 2025 regular season, the Fever instead found a way to bond together and play a collective style of basketball that uplifts every player, regardless of their role.
Additionally, the five players out for the season (Caitlin Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald, and Chloe Bibby) all vocally and emotionally support the team on the bench, instead of in a private suite or some other exclusive location.
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With the Fever holding a 1-0 series lead and “home-court advantage” with Game 3 and Game 4 (if necessary) from Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indiana will certainly look to continue their togetherness in Game 2 on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Game 2 of the WNBA semifinals series will be held at Michelob ULTRA Arena with a start time of 8:30 p.m. CT.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Fever head coach lauds team unity after semifinals win vs. Aces
