The Indiana Fever
will enter the playoffs without a key rotation piece after playoff preparations were derailed by the worst possible news. Their last 66-86 loss against the Minnesota Lynx
cost them more than a win—it cost them Tyasha Harris
. With the Fever posting an update on Harris before Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against the Las Vegas Aces
, Stephanie White's honest take on the issue may have deep consequences for their postseason.
"Yeah, I mean, 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
.
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"And we're going to be with her, and we're going to be with her through all of it. So 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 with 3:35 left 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.
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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. 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 push for the title.
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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.
And 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.
In the absence of Harris, it looks like Stephanie White will turn to Raven Johnson.
"But the great thing is that Raven got 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 on Johnson.
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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, as the Fever play their first playoff game against the Aces on Sunday.
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