Indiana Fever make successful pitch to Sydney Colson

Colson is the fourth player with WNBA Finals experience that the Fever have added this offseason, joining Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham and the recently-signed DeWanna Bonner. Howard, Colson and Bonner are all multi-time champions. For a Fever team that was previously lacking any playoff experience, those players add value on and off the court.

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The moves fit the vision for what new president of basketball operations Kelly Krauskopf hoped to add this free agency period — Indiana wanted veterans. They hoped to get players who have familiarity with what it takes to win. Colson certainly brings experience — she’s played for four different franchises across her 10-year WNBA career.

“I am very excited for this new opportunity with Indiana. I know several players and coaches from the Fever, and I trust what I know about them,” Colson said in a team-issued statement. Said statement added that Colson won the 2011 NCAA national championship game while playing for Texas A&M in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Fever’s home arena.

The 35-year old guard spent the last three seasons with the Las Vegas Aces, where she appeared in 77 regular season games and 17 playoff outings. In that stretch, Colson averaged 1.8 points and 0.9 assists per game in limited minutes. Colson was a key off-court piece for the Aces.

That off-court brand is significant, and it should grow on a popular Fever team. It’s a terrific fit of team and player personality.

“Sydney is a proven veteran in our league and throughout her career delivered for her teams in many big moments. She brings a championship pedigree to the Fever, adding depth to our point guard position. We have the utmost confidence in her ability to step into any situation and deliver on both ends of the floor,” Fever COO and general manager Amber Cox said in a statement.

For her career, Colson has averaged 2.8 points and 1.6 assists per game. Her most successful seasons came with the San Antonio Stars during the mid-2010s.

The Indiana Fever really wanted Colson. Caitlin Clark specifically hoped Colson could join the squad. The team has a plan for Colson on the hardwood and believes that she will fit in well as the backup point guard behind Clark. Finding the right role was important to Colson in free agency, and she should have more usage in Indiana than she did with Las Vegas.

Colson, a Houston native, is currently playing in Athletes Unlimited in Nashville, Tennessee. A league source shared that the Fever sent a group of their staff to Nashville to meet with Colson over dinner. They made their pitch to the veteran guard, courting her and sharing their vision for the partnership.

“When Amber [Cox] and I started talking from the beginning, we started talking about people first,” Krauskopf said of the Fever in free agency, indicating that personality fits were important. Colson fits that vision. “I think initially it did start with, every one of these players [we’re adding] has a high level of character and integrity. I’m just a real proponent of, when shots don’t fall, what do you fall back on? Your culture,” she added.

Colson felt wanted, and she’s happy to join a team that could be a contender this year. For her, an outlined role and the right offer were important, and the Indiana Fever came with both. It’s a contract that is over Colson’s minimum. Richard Cohen of Her Hoop Stats reported that it’s a one-year, unprotected $90,000 agreement. The Next verified those contract details with a league source.

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Colson joins a guard room that contains Kelsey Mitchell, Clark and Jaelyn Brown. The Fever could use more depth with their ball handlers, but the quartet they have will hold up well when healthy. Bonner, Kristy Wallace, Lexie Hull and Cuinngham could theoretically fill in at one of the guard spots if needed.

The Indiana Fever now have 12 rostered players but cannot carry all 12 into the regular season due to the salary cap. They will have to make moves at some point, and that could be as easy as waiving Brown’s training camp deal. A trade that sheds salary would help, too. Altogether, the roster in Indiana is close to finalized, and Sydney Colson was one of the final pieces to the puzzle.

The Next’s Jackie Powell contributed reporting to this story.