The WNBA preseason is off to a flying start, and the Indiana Fever are already turning heads. With two games in the books—including Caitlin Clark’s much-hyped homecoming against the Brazilian National Team—the Fever has come out undefeated, impressing both fans and analysts. It’s been a promising start, no doubt. But beneath all the early success, analysts have pointed out a potential red flag. A trend that might stick around once the regular season tips off—and something the coach Stephanie White will have to prepare for.
The Fever’s preseason clash with the Washington Mystics at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse gave fans a glimpse of what’s coming this W season—and it wasn’t just about the basketball. Caitlin Clark was sidelined with a minor left leg issue, but even in her absence, the tone was set. Things got physical. It all kicked off when Sophie Cunningham checked in and immediately got a rough welcome from Mystics rookie Kiki Iriafen. Midway through the second quarter, Cunningham chased down a loose ball off a missed shot before Iriafen appeared to throw her to the floor. That moment lit the fuse—and from there, it turned into a full-blown foul fest.
With just a minute left in regulation, it looked like the Mystics had the game in the bag—up by six and in full control. But then, things unraveled quickly. Three unnecessary fouls later, Indiana walked to the line and sank six straight free throws to tie it up. In overtime, Washington could barely get a bucket, managing just one field goal while the Fever took over and closed it out 79-74. Rachel Annamarie DeMita joined in too, pointing out the sloppy officiating and suggesting that something needs to be addressed when it comes to WNBA refereeing.
On her podcast, Rachel Annamarie DeMita said, “Let’s talk about the refs because it got really physical. I felt like the first quarter was good, but after that, it got a little bit too physical. There were a lot of fouls in this game, and there were a lot of missed calls in this game also. I was right behind the Mystics’ bench, so I heard their coach going off on the refs the whole game—like, c-rsing out the refs the whole game. And then I also had a direct line of vision to Coach Stephanie White. She was pis-ed the entire game.”
There were a total of 44 fouls committed by both teams—something you don’t usually see in a preseason game. On top of that, both coaches were visibly frustrated with the officiating, pointing to a mix of questionable calls and clear misses. Rachel DeMita also brought up an interesting point—maybe it’s time for the WNBA to look at some of the rule changes the NBA made to open up the offense. Things like the hand-checking ban and eliminating the illegal defense rule have made the NBA more offense-friendly. But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
That said, the Indiana Fever knows they’ll need to put in more work to handle the level of physicality that’s coming their way. Other teams aren’t going to take it easy, especially with all the spotlight on them. Coach Stephanie White has already made the team’s objectives crystal clear, heading into the season. Let’s take a look at what she had to say.
Caitlin Clark’s coach has a clear goal
According to several sportsbooks, the Indiana Fever has the second-best odds to win the WNBA championship at +350, trailing only the defending champs, the New York Liberty. And within the camp, there’s a real sense of belief that they’ve got the pieces to make it happen.
“Everybody who’s been a part of a team, everybody who’s won championships, everybody who’s been a part of growing something special, knows that a lot of things have to fall in line for you to win a championship. They do,” said new head coach Stephanie White. “That’s why it’s so incredibly difficult. But we’re not shying away from the fact that we want to win a championship, that we want to position ourselves every single day to win a championship.”
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) is announced ahead of a WNBA preseason game against the Brazil National Team May 4, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
White emphasized that if the Fever are serious about contending, they need to step it up on the defensive end. Last season, Indiana finished with a defensive rating of 109.5, 11th out of 12 teams in the WNBA. That stat said it all: the Fever could put up points, but stopping opponents was a major problem. And that had to change. So White got to work. She brought in veteran help—two proven defenders in DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard. Both are former All-Stars, both have championship experience, and both bring the kind of defensive grit Indiana was sorely lacking.
With these new additions and the returning core of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell from last season, the Fever has firmly placed itself among the title favorites this year. But big questions remain—can they handle the extra physicality teams are throwing their way? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for more updates!
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