The Indiana Fever sort of fulfilled Caitlin Clark’s “New Year’s Wish” earlier in February. The Next Hoops reporter Tony East shared that Caitlin Clark specifically hoped Colson could join the squad, and many attributed this to her best friend Kate Martin. Martin played with Sydney Colson in the Aces roster and knew about her dominance first-hand. So, yeah, maybe the hyped up conversations between the ex-Iowa stars sparked the discussion. At that time, nothing else seemed like a better fit—Colson wanted to feel valued, and Fever wanted a true point guard behind Clark. Good decision, right? Well, that hasn’t been the case on the court so far in the Fever’s 3-0 preseason run. Just ask Rachel DeMita, who is sure that the HC Stephanie White might have something else to be “disappointed” about.
Well, Colson was joining a guard room besides Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Jaelyn Brown. While their depth was still questionable to some, the double duo of guards, possibly to be filled by Bonner, Hull, and Cunningham whenever needed, was seen as a sure shot way towards advancing. But then came the game against the Mystics that left everyone thinking, “Is Colson just a vibe, then?”
With Caitlin Clark sidelined, it was Sydney Colson who got the start next to Kelsey Mitchell in the backcourt against the Mystics. A steady presence. A 10-year veteran. Defensive-minded. A proven winner. She checked all the boxes to step in. But as the game unfolded? It was clear who was really running the show. Sophie Cunningham! She slid into the point guard role seamlessly. She dropped a game-high 21 points while grabbing 8 rebounds and 2 assists. She also finished with a team-best +16 on the floor. Meanwhile, Colson was on the other end as she finished with a team-worst plus/minus of -15 in 15 minutes of action.
Naturally, Rachel DeMita had some thoughts on the Fever’s point guard situation on her YouTube channel—and as always, she didn’t hold back. She weighed in with an interesting theory, saying, “I talked about it in another video about the point guard situation and the backup point guard situation. A lot of people have been underwhelmed by Sydney Colson’s play on the court, and a lot of people were thinking that Sydney Colson was going to be Caitlin Clark’s backup point guard. I actually think that Caitlin Clark’s backup point guard is going to be more of a Sophie Cunningham”.
Well, to be honest, there are a lot of reasons why Colson might have been hired. With Erica Wheeler gone who got the job done, there are not many players who would agree to play behind Clark with limited minutes. So, Colson’s acquisition seems like a smart financial move that won’t disrupt the locker room dynamics as well. And the way she was approached by the team? Who takes an expected bench player to dinner these days? Also, maybe the team isn’t looking for someone who can replace Clark. We all saw how that went last year when Wheeler stepped into the role. Going even further, Wheeler’s and Clark’s styles did not mesh well on the court, according to many. Colson could put a bandage on that.
Anyway, DeMita is still right to think that the team might want to weigh their back-up options. But there is no reason to think that they are not, considering that everyone knows how White was experimenting with the lineup. “Or, when Caitlin is not on the court, they’re not going to have a true backup point guard to fill in that slot. My theory is that they might wait to see who other teams put on waivers to see if they actually want to cut two players from the Indiana Fever roster and possibly pick up another player who has been put on waivers,” DeMita further said.
Well, now that the team is 11-players strong, they do have the liberty to pick one more player. But all teams must finalize their rosters by 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 15. So, there is not enough time and if we are to consider the hints dropped, it doesn’t seem likely that White will make that move. The team had financial restructions and they never wanted to go over the cap threshold once the season began.
That said, Coach Stephanie White made one thing very clear! Cutting talented players isn’t something she enjoys. Not one bit. She spoke about the tough choices teams have to make this time of year. Let’s take a look at that!
Caitlin Clark’s coach is not happy to let go of players
With the 19th, 20th, and 33rd picks in this year’s draft, the Indiana Fever selected Makayla Timpson, Bree Hall, and Yvonne Ejim. But let’s be real–it was always going to be an uphill battle. The roster was already stacked. Spots were limited. And sure enough, after just one week of training camp, the expected news came in. The Fever officially announced they’ve waived Bree Hall, free-agent signee Jillian Alleyne, and Yvonne Ejim. And coach White had nothing but sympathy for the players!
Oct 6, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White watches from the sideline as they take on the Minnesota Lynx during game four of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
“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—–.” With W teams only allowed to keep 12 players, the Fever had no choice. There just wasn’t enough room to hold onto everyone.
It will still be interesting to see how the Fever performs in year 2 of Caitlin Clark. Expectations are that they will be one of the teams to challenge for the championship this year. They have backed that claim with their preseason performances, but can they continue to shine when it matters the most? Stay tuned to find out!
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