The Indiana Fever is easily the most talked-about franchise this season, and for good reason. They just became the first WNBA team to cross the 1 million follower mark. The catalyst? You already know, it’s none other than Caitlin Clark. However, if explosiveness outweighs longevity, that’s a question still hanging in the air. And judging by how the league’s steady shoulders like Natasha Howard have quietly faded from the spotlight, you probably already know which way the wind is blowing.
Let’s break it down completely, once and for all…
Built to Last vs. Built to Trend, What’s Better?
20,711, no, that’s not the population of some small Midwest town. That’s how many fans packed into Capital One Arena to watch a Fever vs. Mystics matchup last season. It was the largest regular-season crowd ever, and the third-largest all-time. Larger crowds than this? That’s been done twice: On Sept. 16 of 2003 and 2007 during Finals games in Detroit at the old Palace of Auburn Hills. Both of those games recorded sellout crowds of 22,076 fans.
Although that same Detroit Shock, which won three titles in the 2000s and drew in record-breaking attendance and became defunct in 2010. Fair to say, explosive yet extinct. To put things in perspective, another recent example of such flash-in-the-pan popularity came with Caitlin Clark’s first injury of this season. When she was absent from the court, the Fever’s nationally televised viewership dropped by 55%. That’s the flip side of flash: when the star goes dark, so does the spotlight.
But while the cameras pan elsewhere, the league’s real foundation quietly keeps grinding. Enter Natasha Howard. She’s not trending daily or drawing 20,000 to arenas. But she’s doing something far more rare: delivering elite two-way play, year in and year out. “One thing for me, I actually want to win MVP,” Howard said at media day. “Getting MVP and also Defensive Player of the Year. And at the end, just holding that [championship] trophy.” To fulfill all these goals silently, the 3x WNBA Champion keeps evolving her play behind the scenes, let’s have a look…
Natasha Howard’s Constant Evolution BTS
“Right now, I just want to get better every day and add something new to my game every day. Be more consistent on just shooting the ball better because this past season, I didn’t really shoot the three ball that much,” said Howard before the start of this season. It’s safe to say that the 11-year veteran stuck to her goals. In 2 out of her 3 recent games, Howard scored a total of 18 points while shooting 72.7% and 88.9% from the field. That kind of shooting prowess, combined with her defensive presence, will make somebody a star in the NBA as well.
Hear it from Caitlin Clark herself: “Tash is a player that everybody really, really respects. She’s won. She plays both ends of the ball really, really well.“ She added, “She’s a little quieter, but you always feel her presence. I think especially on the defensive end. It seems like every single day in practice, she comes up with big stops.” It’s not just her elite resume (3x WNBA champ, Finals MVP caliber, 2x All-Star, DPOY 2019) that commands respect.
It’s her all-around playmaking that allows her to quietly anchor the Indiana Fever, even with a generational star like Caitlin Clark on the roster. As Howard once put it: “When my teammates see me hustling on the defensive end, that gets them going,” she said with a smile. “When they see me going, they follow my lead. And that’s one thing I love about the way I play.” Natasha Howard’s evolution became the most obvious when she averaged 15.2 points (76 total) over five games.
This included an MVP-earning 16-point, 12-rebound, four-assist, and two-steal effort in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game vs. the Minnesota Lynx. And Stephanie White didn’t shy away from acknowledging this performance. “She’s also changed her mindset,” White added. “She’s starting on the defensive end of the floor. She’s being active, she’s being aggressive and setting the tone on that end of the floor, which has opened things up and taken a little of the pressure off.”
Yet, somehow, it’s mostly just coaches and fellow players who truly recognize her greatness. While fans and media often let it slip under the radar…
Game Recognizes Game…?
“I was looking for a team that would appreciate me and what I bring to the table and won’t dim my light,” said Howard, entering into free agency earlier this season. She added a painful line, “That’s the thing: I have to deal with that a lot. Even though I bust my b— day in and day out, I still don’t get the recognition that I deserve.” But if there’s one thing this Indiana Fever squad has made clear, it’s that they see her. And they’ve got her back, loudly.
It showed when, upon earning MVP honors during the Commissioner’s Cup Final vs. the Lynx, Natasha Howard clapped back at the haters. “I remember people laughing at me, harassing me on social media, telling me I was washed up and not good enough to win anything,” Howard wrote. “Many of them had no idea how long my résumé really is.”
“MVP. MVP. MVP.”
Natasha Howard is the unanimous Commissioner’s Cup MVP. pic.twitter.com/0qHL0hAVYu
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 2, 2025
And her teammates were quick to rally behind her in the comment section. Aliyah Boston dropped a “KEEP IT GOING ,” Lexie Hull chimed in with “So proud ,” Sydney Colson wrote, “IKTR Tash!! Proud of you! .” And Kelsey Mitchell made it personal: “Ima always believe in you, 6 .” While even the official Fever account joined the chorus with a simple but powerful “.” The comment section was a celebration.
Sure, Natasha Howard may only have 63.3K Instagram followers, a modest number in today’s metrics-obsessed world. But that wave of love in the comments screams locker room leadership. Still, we are just as eager to hear what she has to say. Her story deserves a voice, and we’re not done listening yet. Stay connected as we continue to celebrate #ItsHerMoment with Natasha Howard at the WNBA All-Star Weekend 2025. Covering live from Bullseye Event Centre, Indianapolis on July 18, 4:00 PM, brought to you exclusively by EssentiallySports.
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