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The Indiana Fever’s front office hit a home run during their last WNBA offseason.
After the team made it to the 2024 WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2016 (largely because of a fantastic rookie campaign from Caitlin Clark, who finished fourth in league MVP voting), the Fever revamped its coaching staff by hiring Stephanie White, who is one of women’s basketball’s most respected minds.
But Indiana didn’t stop at improving their coaching staff. They also added several key players via trades and free agency, such as Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham, and Sydney Colson (they also signed DeWanna Bonner, but that didn’t end up well), to pair with their existing core of Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Lexie Hull.
Because of these changes, many believed that the Fever would contend for a WNBA championship in 2025. And while they did that (before ultimately coming up short against the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Semifinals), their journey involved a lot of injuries and adversity.
Indiana’s having persevered past that adversity is a testament to the tight-knit, familial team culture they have cultivated during White’s first season at the helm. And this is why many expect top free agents to be compelled to sign with Indiana as free agents this winter.
Stephanie White Hints That Fever Roster Changes Are Coming
If the Fever signs new players in free agency, that means current players will be departing. And White alluded to this during her September 30 postgame press conference.
“We know this is going to be an offseason full of change in the league, but what this group accomplished is a special story. And I hope one day it’s told,” White said, per a video from the Fever’s YouTube account.
Of course, no team is going to look the same from one season to the next. And this is going to be especially true this upcoming offseason because essentially every single WNBA player who isn’t on their rookie contract (which Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston still are) is going to become a free agent.
WNBA veterans had their contracts structured this way because the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires after this season ends, and players are expected to have vastly increased salaries as part of the next CBA, which would get instituted before the 2026 season if the players and the league office agree to terms by then.
While White is right that big change is on the horizon, these changes should only benefit the Fever.
