One more team has punched its ticket to the WNBA Playoffs semifinals.
The Indiana Fever downed the Atlanta Dream to advance past the first round, while the Seattle Storm and Las Vegas Aces will play a winner-takes-all game later on Thursday.
Here’s a recap of Thursday’s action as well as an updated look at the playoff picture.
Indiana Fever def. Atlanta Dream, 87-85
Seattle Storm vs. Las Vegas Aces, 9:15 p.m. ET
No. 3 Atlanta Dream vs. No. 6 Indiana Fever (Fever wins series 2-1)
No. 4 Phoenix Mercury vs. No. 5 New York Liberty (Series tied 1-1)
No. 2 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 7 Seattle Storm (Series tied 1-1)
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. No. 8 Golden State Valkyries (Minnesota wins series 2-0)
No. 1 Minnesota Lynx vs. TBD
No. 6 Indiana Fever vs. TBD
Indiana Fever 87, Atlanta Dream 85
Indiana has won its first playoff series since 2015 after clinching Game 3 on Thursday.
The Dream came into the series as the favorite against the Caitlin Clark-less Fever, but Indiana wasn’t ready to be counted out. The Dream took Game 1, and the Fever bounced back with a 77-60 win in Game 2. Thursday’s game came down to the final seconds.
The Fever trailed for all of the fourth, but cut the lead down to just two points halfway through the final quarter. From there, they made it a one-point game in the final minute thanks to a layup from Lexie Hull. Indiana then got the stop it needed, and Aliyah Boston gave it the lead at the other end.
After the huge basket from Boston, Hull came through on defense, stealing the inbound pass as Atlanta tried to retake the lead. Odyssey Sims then went 1-of-2 at the line to give Indiana a two-point lead, and the Dream’s game-winning shot missed.
While Hull and Boston made the clutch plays at the end, Kelsey Mitchell led the way for most of the game, posting 24 points. Boston finished with 14 points, 12 boards and six assists.
With the win, Indiana joins the Minnesota Lynx as the only two teams to have already punched a ticket to the semifinal. The Fever will face the winner of the series between the Aces and Storm.
