Fever stun Dream, take 1st playoff series since '15

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. -- Aliyah Boston made the go-ahead handbasket with 7.4 seconds left, Lexie Hull stole the ensuing inbounds walk and the Indiana Fever bushed the No. 3-seeded Atlanta Dream 87-85 connected Thursday nighttime to beforehand to the WNBA semifinals.

Despite missing Caitlin Clark among its injured players, Indiana closed connected a 7-0 tally to triumph a playoff bid for the archetypal clip since 2015. The sixth-seeded Fever volition play connected Sunday against the victor of Thursday's different Game 3 betwixt Seattle and Las Vegas.

Boston was near unsocial nether the handbasket for an casual layup aft Brionna Jones went to the crushed going for a escaped ball. It gave Indiana an 86-85 lead, its archetypal since it was 33-30 successful the 2nd quarter.

Rhyne Howard doubly had occupation inbounding the shot successful the last seconds, with Hull coming from down to poke it distant from Jones. Indiana got it to Odyssey Sims, who went 1 of 2 astatine the free-throw enactment to springiness Atlanta different changeable with 1.2 left. Jones' off-balance 3-pointer astatine the buzzer was disconnected the mark.

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 24 points and Boston had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Sims had 16 points and 8 assists, and Natasha Howard added 12 points.

Allisha Gray had 19 points and 12 rebounds for her archetypal playoff double-double to pb Atlanta. Jordin Canada besides had a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. Rhyne Howard scored 16 points and Jones had 12.

Atlanta, which was held to 60 points successful a 17-point nonaccomplishment successful Game 2 connected Tuesday, reached 60 points with 6:09 near successful the 3rd quarter.

Shey Peddy made a 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining successful the 4th to propulsion Indiana wrong 80-78. Neither squad scored again until the 3:21 people connected Brianna Turner's putback to necktie it astatine 80-all.

Atlanta has not won a playoff bid since 2016.