INDIANAPOLIS — As Odyssey Sims walked off the Gainbridge Fieldhouse floor on Sunday afternoon, soaking up cheers after the Indiana Fever forced a decisive Game 5 in the WNBA semifinals, her mini-me was right beside her. She walked in step with her son, Jaiden, down the tunnel. Then, she saw the Fever social team’s running video, and she held up a W sign and went, “One more. We got it.”

Because of the nature of her job, the late hours and seemingly constant travel, Sims’ time with her son is limited. But she still stays in contact with him as much as possible, FaceTiming with him in her off time and bringing him to games as much as she can.

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And to have him at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where Sims spurred the Fever to Game 5 in a 90-83 win over the Aces, meant the world.

“It means everything,” Sims said. “I love my son to death, everybody knows that, and I’m just happy that he was able to come this weekend. My heart is full.”

It was a bounce-back game for Sims after she struggled in Game 3 on Friday night. Sims, who joined the team Aug. 10 on a hardship contract and was thrown into the fire as the team’s starting point guard, went 0 for 7 against the Aces’ lockdown defense.

She had just two points, two assists, and four rebounds in 19 minutes. Shey Peddy ended up taking the majority of the point guard minutes, playing 21 with eight points and two assists.

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The Fever didn’t move the ball as well that game, with the Aces’ defense heavily penetrating anything they were trying to do. That lack of ball movement led to an 84-72 loss, and a desire from Fever coach Stephanie White to see more out of her point guards.

“We got to get production,” White said pregame. “We’ve got to get downhill. We’ve got to make sure, whether it’s O, the ability to create for herself and her teammates, or Shey, knocking down shots, making sure that we’re getting high-quality, high-percentage looks from everybody else, and set the tone on the defensive end.”

And Sims made sure to give her team more production.

She went 6 of 9 from the field on Sunday afternoon, helping lead her team with 18 points, two assists and a team-high plus-minus of 17.

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She didn’t want to carry over any negativity from Friday night’s game, either. She came into Sunday with a clean slate and open mind.

That turned into a decisive Game 5 at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday — and maybe a trip to the finals.

“Just leave that game where it is,” Sims said. “It’s the past, just focus on today. Didn’t change my mindset, didn’t change anything besides just being more aggressive … Loved our aggression today, and when we carry it over on Tuesday, keep it going so we can get to the finals.”

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar’s YouTube channel and join Fever Insiders Live postgame.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Odyssey Sims son, stats in Fever win vs Aces in WNBA semifinals