We’re just weeks away from another W season. The buzz, the drama, the buzzer beaters — it’s all coming back soon! And this time, one storyline stands out. All eyes will be on Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. Under new head coach Stephanie White, they look like a franchise that means business. The Fever made big moves this offseason. Now, they look like real contenders. Analysts are hyped. Fans are as well! And honestly, they have a very good reason to do so.
The last time the Fever were on top? 2012. Tamika Catchings led the charge. Since then, it’s been a long, tough wait. But this year? It feels different. The front office got busy fixing last season’s flaws. Experience? Check. A solid frontcourt to support the electric Clark-Mitchell duo? Absolutely. Depth was the big question. Could they ease the load on Clark? Looks like they can now. The Fever made moves –big ones, might I add. In came DeWanna Bonner, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham, and Natasha Howard. Proven. Tested. Champions. And maybe, just maybe, the missing pieces for a title run.
Seerat Sohi of The Ringer WNBA Show talked about how these new additions could help the team and possibly even help new coach Stephanie White win Coach of the Year.
She said, “Every single franchise basically is a reflection of their leaders, right? So when you look at Caitlin, there’s a competitiveness that I think they had last season. But you bring in a player like DeWanna Bonner, you bring back Natasha Howard, you bring in Stephanie White — who provides such a nice balance between holding players accountable but also telling them where they need to be, what they need to do. I love seeing Lexie and Sophie on the bench giving Caitlin help. And the Steph White aspect is going to be really interesting to track. I think that she’s probably going to be the favorite to win Coach of the Year, given the hype around Indiana.”
New signings Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner — both former Defensive Player of the Year winners — will help lock things down on defense. On the other end, sharpshooters Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham can ease the scoring load off Caitlin Clark. On paper, this looks like one of the most complete rosters in the league. For Coach Stephanie White, it could mean another shot at Coach of the Year. She’s already won it once. But the competition is tough. Cheryl Reeve will surely be in the mix too — a four-time champion and four-time Coach of the Year. She won it last year after guiding the Lynx to another final.
Syndication: The Indianapolis Star The Indiana Fever welcome Stephanie White as their new head coach Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference held on Salesforce Court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Indianapolis , EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMykalxMcEldowney/IndyStarx USATSI_24675101
There’s every reason for Stephanie White to be a top contender for Coach of the Year. If the game against the Brazil National Team is anything to go by, the Fever might just be an offensive powerhouse this season.One fan on the podcast even called it — predicting Indiana to finish with the best offensive rating in the league. Hard to argue after that dominant 108–44 win in Caitlin Clark’s homecoming game. A preview of what’s coming for the rest of the league? Could be. And it’s looking scary.
It’s looking like happy times are back in Indiana. But behind the scenes, the front office had to make some tough calls. Roster limits forced them to part ways with two promising young players. Let’s take a look at who they had to let go.
Caitlin Clark and co lose two players
With the 20th pick in the draft, the Indiana Fever selected Bree Hall — one of Dawn Staley’s favorite players and Aliyah Boston’s best friend. A key part of South Carolina’s star-studded recruiting class, she teamed up with Sania Feagin and Raven Johnson to help the Gamecocks win two national titles.But the W is a tough league. And due to roster limits, the Fever had to make a tough call. Hall, along with free agent signee Jillian Alleyne, have officially been waived.
Coach Stephanie White knows the hardest part of the job is cutting players out of the roster . After the recent roster moves, she didn’t hide how tough it was. “This is the worst part of the job,” she said. “We always wish there were more roster spots, so that you know, we could have some of those development positions. But we know it’s part of it, and it s-cks.”
How the Fever perform with their new-look roster? Still to be seen. But on paper, they’ve got all the right pieces for a deep playoff run.Sure, it’s a tough break for Bree Hall and Jillian Alleyne. But their W careers aren’t done yet. Another team might just give them that shot. For now, though, all eyes are on Caitlin Clark. Can she lead the Fever to the promised land? Stay tuned.
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