This is tough.
Indiana Fever on Temporary Leave Suffers Painful Blow on Sunday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Damiris Dantas has missed the last five games for the Indiana Fever, including their Commissioner's Cup championship win over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday.
Dantas had her WNBA contract temporarily suspended as she represents Brazil in the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Santiago, Chile.
The tournament concluded on Sunday with the final game pitting Brazil against the United States squad. Unfortunately for Dantas and Co., their tournament ended with heartbreak after a 92-84 loss to the Americans.
Dantas did all she could for Brazil, dropping a game-high 35 points on 11-of-19 shooting, to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one triple in 40 minutes of action.
It still wasn't enough, though, as incoming Vanderbilt sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes carried the U.S. with a 27-point eruption.
This heartbreaking loss was Brazil's first defeat in the tournament after winning all six of their previous contests. Either way, they have been left to settle for a silver medal after Sunday's unfortunate turn of events.
Dantas, who led the tournament in scoring with an average of 21.4 points per game, will now rejoin the Fever after her stint with the national team. The 32-year-old veteran could potentially be back in the lineup when Indiana returns to action on Wednesday against the Golden State Valkyries.
Related: Support Pours in for Indiana Fever Player on Temporary Leave
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
