The Indiana Fever are heading into the playoffs without a key piece of their rotation. The setback came in their final game against the Minnesota Lynx, a 66-86 loss that left Indiana dealing with a much bigger problem than the result itself. Tyasha Harris was lost in the process, putting another obstacle in the Fever’s path just as the postseason arrived.

Now, with Indiana preparing for Game 1 of its first-round playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces, head coach Stephanie White has also offered an honest assessment of the situation. Her comments could carry significant consequences for the Fever as they begin their postseason run.

“It’s heartbreaking. Certainly an emotional locker room, you know, after the game. [Tyasha] means a lot to us, as a human being and obviously she means a lot to us as players too, but I hate it for her because she works so hard to get back,” said White during the media availability.

“We’re going to be with her, and we’re going to be with her through all of it. She knows that, and on the floor, she’s been a big part of what we do. She has been a floor general for us. She’s gotten us into offense. She’s gotten us settled; her ability to knock down shots. And you saw as she got healthy, her minutes continued to increase, and so we’re going to miss her on the floor.”

The Fever lost Harris when she collided with an opponent in the third quarter. Harris was attempting a layup and landed awkwardly on her foot after contact with Minnesota’s Nia Brodie.

She immediately went down and had to be escorted off the court by teammates and staff. Initially ruled as an ankle injury, the Fever announced that Harris has been ruled out for the season. It has been reported that she has suffered a broken left fibula, per an official Fever post on X.

The injury is particularly cruel timing, as Harris spent the majority of last season on the sidelines with a knee injury. She was only able to play five games for the Dallas Wings before the injury closed off her season early last year. This season, Harris had just emerged as a key player off the bench for Indiana.

She had been averaging 4.1 points, 1.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game in 13.6 minutes of playing time. But now, the timeline of her return is unclear as the Fever is pushing for the title.

After signing with Indiana before the start of the season, the 28-year-old guard emerged as a go-to option for Stephanie White when she needed a replacement for Caitlin Clark. When Clark has been sidelined due to injuries or needs to be rested during games, Harris looked like the default option for the Fever in this role.

But to add to Stephanie White’s worries, Aliyah Boston is also listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Boston was also injured in the same game as Harris, going down in the second quarter in the season finale against the Lynx.

Indiana will depend on this player next

In the absence of Harris, it looks like Stephanie White will turn to Raven Johnson.

“But the great thing is that Raven has gotten quality minutes, especially over the last few games, and I think her impact on our team on both ends of the floor has been felt, and so she’s going to be ready,” said Stephanie White about Johnson.

That said, Indiana should not have to lean heavily on its rookie in terms of playing time. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell are expected to absorb most of the backcourt minutes, while Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham can handle the workload on the wing.

The Fever’s options are limited, however. Indiana cannot bring in a player on a hardship contract, as the window to apply for a season-ending injury exception closes with four weeks remaining in the regular season.

The emergency hardship exception is also out of reach. Teams must have 10 or fewer available players to qualify, and Indiana will have 11 players available throughout the playoffs.

The Fever have beaten the Aces twice in the regular season and will look to continue their winning ways in the postseason as well. Only time will tell the impact of Harris’ absence.