A Tale of Two Teams Entering the Postseason
Playoff basketball is often a test of not just talent, but availability. And going into Game 1 on September 14, 2025, that test lopsidedly favors the Atlanta Dream. They’re coming in healthy, confident, riding momentum, while the Indiana Fever are muddling through what amounts to a roster crisis.
- A Tale of Two Teams Entering the Postseason
- The Injuries That Change Everything for Indiana
- Dream’s Roster: Healthy, Hungry, Poised
- How This Shapes Game 1: Strategy, Expectations & Dynamics
- Historical Context: Has Indiana Been Here Before?
- Predicted Starting Lineups & Key Matchups
- My Take: Dream Likely Has the Edge, But Don’t Count Indiana Out
- What to Watch Post-Game
- Final Thought
The Dream finished their regular season on a six-game winning streak, 30-14 record, their best ever. They sit at No. 3 seed in the East. Meanwhile, the Fever, despite multiple season-ending injuries, scraped into the postseason as a No. 6 seed. Their narrative has been one of resilience more than dominance. Swish Appeal+3The Playoffs+3SI+3
The Injuries That Change Everything for Indiana
If Game 1 is about who shows up full strength, Indiana won’t. They enter without six players who are out for the season, plus one more in concussion protocol. Here’s who’s missing, and what it means:
Player |
Injury / Status |
Role & Impact Loss |
|---|---|---|
Caitlin Clark |
Outright groin, season ended. |
Their star guard is, primary playmaker, scoring threat. Her absence tilts the offensive burden heavily onto others. |
Sophie Cunningham |
Out torn right MCL, season-ending. |
Veteran scorer/shooter; shooting floor spacing and perimeter options take a hit. |
Sydney Colson |
Our left knee; season over. |
Experience, leadership, and the ability to manage game flow from the point guard role are lost. |
Aari McDonald |
Our right foot; season over. |
Backup/rotational guard; adds depth and defensive punch; without her, rotation is thinner. |
Damiris Dantas |
Out in concussion protocol. |
Veteran forward who gives some frontcourt stability; absence hurts versatility. |
Chloe Bibby |
Our left knee. |
Role player, eased scoring. |
(Plus) Players like Colson, McDonald, etc. |
Collective injuries leave Indiana with fewer rotation options, more risk. |
It’s hard to overstate: losing Caitlin Clark alone is huge. She was averaging (before injury) looks like strong contributions in scoring, assists, and rebounds, a two-way presence. Losing her, along with the others, is like losing multiple fingers from your playing hand.
Dream’s Roster: Healthy, Hungry, Poised
Contrast that with Atlanta:
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Only one confirmed player out: Taylor Thierry is ruled out with an ankle injury.
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Everyone else in the projected rotation is expected to be available.
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The Dream entered the playoffs having won many of their final games (a long win streak) and with their stars performing well. Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray, and Brionna Jones have carried the weight.
How This Shapes Game 1: Strategy, Expectations & Dynamics
Here are key things likely influenced by Indiana’s injury woes vs Atlanta’s health and flow:
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Offensive Flow & Scoring Distribution
Without Caitlin Clark, Indiana must lean entirely on others like Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston to generate offense. But more defensive attention will come their way. Ball movement, finding open shots, and inside scoring will be crucial. -
Rotation Depth & Fatigue
The missing players thin out Indiana’s bench. Atlanta can rotate more freely. Over a short best-of-three span (first round), fatigue can show early, especially in Game 2 & Game 3 for Indiana if games are tight. -
Defensive Matchups & Mismatches
Dream can exploit matchups: small lineups, guards driving into less experienced defenders; frontcourt mismatches with stronger or healthier bigs. Indiana may need to collapse zone defenses or double more, which can lead to foul trouble. -
Momentum & Psychological Edge
Atlanta enters with confidence. When one team has fewer distractions/injuries, there’s a psychological edge. Indiana’s injuries probably cost them rest, practice rhythm, and in some cases, mental energy worrying about recoveries. -
Home vs. Away Factor
Game 1 is in Atlanta (their home court). Holding serve is big. If Indiana can steal road games, series flips. But given their depleted roster, their margin for error is tiny.
Historical Context: Has Indiana Been Here Before?
It’s not uncommon in WNBA (or any playoff basketball) for teams’ fortunes to hinge on health. , This season, Indiana has already had to deal with multiple players going down. Sophie Cunningham, Caitlin Clark, and Aari McDonald are among them. Indiana’s ability to reach the playoffs despite that shows depth of character, but depth of roster matters in the playoffs.
For Atlanta, this may be their best chance in years. They’ve built up a strong regular season, probably better coaching, healthy rotations, and now avoiding some of the heartbreak past teams faced when stars were missing.
Predicted Starting Lineups & Key Matchups
From sources, here are projected lineups (with who’s available) and matchups to watch:
Team |
Probable Starters (Game 1) |
|---|---|
Atlanta Dream |
Naz Hillmon; Rhyne Howard; Brionna Jones; Te-Hina Paopao; Allisha Gray |
Indiana Fever |
Natasha Howard; Lexie Hull; Aliyah Boston; Odyssey Sims; Kelsey Mitchell |
Key Matchups:
- Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana) vs Allisha Gray (Atlanta) scoring, off-ball movement.
Aliyah Boston vs. Naz Hillmon/Brionna Jones. Can Indiana protect the paint without depth?
Multiple guard out point of attack/guard play, the backcourt of Indiana is heavy. Such teams as Atlanta will pressure.
My Take: Dream Likely Has the Edge, But Don’t Count Indiana Out
Given how things stand, it’s reasonable to expect Atlanta to take Game 1, maybe fairly comfortably. Their health, momentum, home court advantage, and deeper rotation give them multiple levers to pull.
But here’s what makes me believe Indiana still has a fighting chance:
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They ended the regular season with some quality wins, including over good teams. That shows flashes of the kind of fight you want in the playoffs. The Playoffs+1
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Injuries might force Indiana to simplify. That can lead to surprising performances: fewer plays, more improvisation, more hustle, sometimes that beats over-structured offense.
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If Atlanta underestimates them or lets energy drop, Indiana could steal Game 1. But to win the series, Indiana will likely need to win an away game, push Atlanta hard, and hope for injury returns or improved contributions from the available players.
What to Watch Post-Game
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How many minutes do Indiana’s starters log in Game 1? If they are overextended, Game 2 or 3 may suffer.
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Turnover differential: depleted rosters often commit more or are less crisp.
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Fatigue signs late in close stretches (4th quarter).
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Atlanta’s bench contribution: Dream’s depth could widen the gap.
Final Thought
The road to the WNBA Semifinals just got rougher for Indiana. Their playoff dreams are not dead, but heavily compromised by a cascade of season-ending injuries. The Dream, healthy and peaking, are in a prime spot to begin the series with a statement.
