Caitlin Clark-less Fever use late heroics to eliminate Dream

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Aliyah Boston made the go-ahead basket with 7.4 seconds left, Lexie Hull stole the ensuing inbounds pass and the Indiana Fever beat the No. 3-seeded Atlanta Dream 87-85 on Thursday night to advance to the WNBA semifinals.

Despite missing Caitlin Clark among its injured players, Indiana closed on a 7-0 run to win a playoff series for the first time since 2015.

The sixth-seeded Fever will play on Sunday against the winner of Thursday’s other Game 3 between Seattle and Las Vegas.

Boston was left alone under the basket for an easy layup after Brionna Jones went to the ground going for a loose ball.

It gave Indiana an 86-85 lead, its first since it was 33-30 in the second quarter.

Rhyne Howard twice had trouble inbounding the ball in the final seconds, with Hull coming from behind to poke it away from Jones.

Indiana got it to Odyssey Sims, who went 1 of 2 at the free-throw line to give Atlanta another shot with 1.2 left. Jones’ off-balance 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark.

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana with 24 points and Boston had 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

Sims had 16 points and eight assists, and Natasha Howard added 12 points.

Allisha Gray had 19 points and 12 rebounds for her first playoff double-double to lead Atlanta.

Jordin Canada also 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 in a 17-point loss in Game 2 on Tuesday, reached 60 points with 6:09 left in the third quarter.

Shey Peddy made a 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining in the fourth to pull Indiana within 80-78. Neither team scored again until the 3:21 mark on Brianna Turner’s putback to tie it at 80-all.

Atlanta has not won a playoff series since 2016.