Indiana Fever Praised for What They Did During National Anthem

Indiana Fever Praised for What They Did During National Anthem originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Indiana Fever were shorthanded against the Chicago Sky on Saturday, but they were not lacking in heart.

Caitlin Clark's lingering groin injury was made worse when Indiana's other two point guards, Aari McDonald (foot) and Sydney Colson (knee), were ruled out for the rest of the 2025 WNBA season on Friday with injuries of their own.

The nine players who did suit up against the Sky put on a show, dazzling Gainbridge Fieldhouse with a 92-70 win against their Midwestern rivals, who were playing without star forward Angel Reese.

• Kelsey Mitchell led the way with a game-high 26 points
• Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham combined for 33 points and seven three-pointers
• Aliyah Boston had 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting

Watch Indiana Fever Pay Tribute to Caitlin Clark, Injured Teammates During National Anthem

The most striking moment came before tip-off, when the Fever lined up for the national anthem and left visible gaps for their absent teammates.

They left empty spaces for the 3 injured players ❤️‍🩹 pic.twitter.com/SZSV08NvTW

— Emma (@emma_11001) August 10, 2025

If the video struck an emotional chord, you are not alone. Praise flooded in quickly on social media.

"Folks that’s a TRUE TEAM right there," said a fan on X.

"very classy," added another.

"So much mutual love and respect for their teammates, love this team!!" wrote one user.

They left the spaces for Syd and Ari…my shaylas 😭😭😭😭 https://t.co/X3RkHL1dug

— Karla Marte;✨ (@kmarte2) August 10, 2025

"Made me emotional," said a fan. "They left 3 places for Caitlin, Aari and Syd."

"That is so beautiful," echoed one response.

Stephanie White, Kelsey Mitchell on "Special" Team Bond

The pregame gesture set the tone for a team performance that earned high marks from head coach Stephanie White. She may have faced challenges in creating a rotation without a point guard, but it was easy to stay motivated by the resilient group of players.

"When you love who you come to work with every day, when it's not about you and it's about everybody else and it's about the whole, it makes it worth it," White said. "It makes going through the struggles worth it and I just think this group is a special one."

"I think this is the most resilient team I've ever been a part of," Mitchell echoed after the game, "and I say that wholeheartedly."

Fever's Team Spirit Fueling WNBA Playoff Push

The Fever (18-14) ended the night fifth in the WNBA standings, two games ahead of the Golden State Valkyries (15-15) for the eighth and final playoff spot.

However, they will need more bodies to sustain the playoff push, especially with Clark's return date still unknown. Available point guard options the Fever could sign include Grace Berger, Odyssey Sims and Zia Cooke.

They have three manageable games coming up against the Dallas Wings (8-23) and Washington Mystics (13-17) at home, followed by a road game against the Connecticut Sun (5-24).

Related: “That’s Just Who I Am”: Aliyah Boston Defends Herself After Sneaky Caitlin Clark Move

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.