The 2025 WNBA semifinals between the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces have been nothing short of a heavyweight clash. It’s MVP versus the overlooked star, and just as much a chess match between two of the league’s top coaches. Stephanie White showed out first in Round 1, but Becky Hammon struck back with two straight wins, pushing Indiana to the edge of elimination.

Still, counting the Fever out would be risky. Just nine days ago, they stunned the third-seeded Atlanta Dream with back-to-back elimination wins. Aware of their habit of rising from the brink, Hammon isn’t leaving room for surprises. She wants to close the door on Indiana’s run in their own building.

When asked about her team’s mindset ahead of Game 4, Becky Hammon said, “Same as it was today. I mean, we’re not looking for a game five. We want to come in, take care of business, have the appropriate mentality. Obviously, we’re happy with the win, but we have to move on, and we have to do some things much better.”

Hammon’s caution is justified. The Aces let Indiana hang around far too long, even surrendering a brief third-quarter lead in Game 3. The biggest red flag? The glass. Indiana outrebounded Las Vegas 39–26, turning second chances into momentum swings that nearly erased the Aces’ cushion. So, the Aces may lean on their fourth-quarter surge and balanced scoring, but it won’t work when Indiana decides. Hammon’s focus is a reminder: in the playoffs, the margins are razor-thin, and fundamentals win titles.

She said, “I know my group understands that. We didn’t feel like we played a good 40 minutes. So we wanna put together a good 40. I thought we played well in patches, but… Obviously, the fourth quarter was great. But we still feel like there are some areas we can do much better.” And indeed her team knows that they need to be better. Even the top scorer last night, Jackie Young (25 points), admitted that she should have taken better care of the ball. Although 4 turnovers are not a big number, the Aces players know that to beat Stephanie White’s Fever squad, they need to be at the top of their game.

But while the Las Vegas Aces are preparing their best to close out the series in game four, it will be interesting to see how Stephanie White picks up her Indiana Fever after two consecutive losses.

How can Stephanie White get the Indiana Fever back into the series?

Last night’s game must feel like a lost opportunity for the Indiana Fever. Despite the Las Vegas Aces’ slow start and a poor shooting performance from A’ja Wilson, the Indiana Fever were not able to cash in and level the series. After their slow start, they had even taken a five-point lead around the 6:46 mark of the third quarter. However, after that, they were not able to hang with the Aces and lost the game 84-72.

But with the game behind them now, their sole focus should be on making sure that they win the next game and force a do-or-die scenario. But with all the momentum favoring the Aces, what can Stephanie White do to make sure that the Fever can come off with a win? Well, first and foremost, the Indiana Fever need to make sure that they can contain A’ja Wilson again. Till now, Aliyah Boston has done a decent job when it comes to defending the MVP. But to ensure a win in game 4, they need to do that better. Teammates need to help AB better.

Taking the lessons from the game 3 loss, the Indiana Fever need to make sure that whenever they get an opportunity to play with pace, they are making use of it. Be it fast breaks or points off turnovers, they need to move the ball and be quick with their transitions. Stephanie White will also be looking for some more production from the trio of Kelsey Mitchell, Odyssey Sims, and Aliyah Boston. While they haven’t been bad, in a desperate time like this, all three need to dig deep.

For sure, the task is not going to be an easy one. However, if there is one coach who can lead the Fever at this time, it is Stephanie White. Throughout the season, her coaching has helped the team navigate a challenging season. Now, with their season on the brink, the fans would hope for one more miracle.