The Indiana Fever started the Caitlin Clark period in 2024 and took the WNBA world by storm. The 12 months of 2025 could possibly be when the Fever actually make a mark as the most effective groups within the Jap Convention.
That’s a risk with the addition of latest Fever head coach Stephanie White, who bolted out of an getting older Connecticut Solar workforce to guide a neophyte Fever core that simply ended a seven-year postseason drought.
White’s return to Indiana is a homecoming for the fifth-year head coach. She started her WNBA head teaching profession in Indiana (2015-16) and spent 4 of her 5 WNBA enjoying years (2000-04) there as effectively.
However will the homecoming flip into a long-lasting, fulfilling tenure?
How White addresses just a few of those matters may reply that query.
CLARK’S EFFICIENCY
As anticipated, Clark proved to be the dynamic level guard out of Iowa all of us anticipated. Simply test the accolades: Rookie of 12 months, 2024 WNBA First Group, All-Star Sport starter, 2024 All-Rookie Group, 2024 help champion and fourth-place end in MVP voting.
However there may be one obvious difficulty for Clark that White’s new system should tackle: turnovers.
The help chief (8.4) turned the ball over probably the most in 2024, averaging 5.6 per recreation. Her common of 5.6 is 2 extra the second-place holder Alyssa Thomas and a couple of.6 greater than third-place holders Natasha Cloud, Kahleah Copper and Dearica Hamby.
Clark additionally owns the WNBA single-season whole turnover report of 223, 78 extra the Thomas’ earlier report set in 2023.
Turnovers by a younger participant with excessive utilization charges — her 26.2% ranks ninth within the WNBA — will be anticipated. However the subsequent step in Clark’s evolution is to rack up these help numbers at a method decrease turnover charge. That’s the place White is available in.
A aim for White could possibly be to implement a system that doesn’t completely abandon the Fever’s high-paced offense whereas maintaining turnover numbers down for the star guard.
GETTING MORE OUT OF NALYSSA
Ahead NaLyssa Smith started her WNBA profession in 2022 and shortly regarded prime to be one of many league’s brightest children. Her ascension continued in 2023, when her factors per recreation ballooned from 13.5 to fifteen.5. However in 2024, her factors per recreation (10.6) and shot makes an attempt (8.8) hit career-lows below head coach Christie Sides.
Alongside Clark and Aliyah Boston, a extra concerned Smith may type a Large 3 in Indiana for the foreseeable future. They’ll all enter the 2025 season below the age of 24 and have spent a season with one another already. The 2 forwards — Boston and Smith — don’t area the ground however Clark’s vary, gravity and playmaking generates alternatives for the bigs on every possession.
That ought to be a magnet for White in 2025.
Nevertheless, Smith’s involvement within the offense hinges vastly on Kelsey Mitchell’s determination this offseason. The 28-year-old Mitchell, who averaged career-highs in factors (19.2) and field-goal proportion (46.8) in her seventh season in Indiana, is an unrestricted free agent.
A departure for Mitchell, who performed in her second All-Star Sport in 2024, makes White’s youth motion in Indiana a extra seamless transfer. If Mitchell stays, Smith might by no means acquired her probability at being a second or third possibility with the Fever.
And showcasing offensive skills is essential for Smith, who’s due for unrestricted free company on the finish of the 2025 season.
CAN WHITE BRING DEFENSE TO INDIANA?
The 2024 Fever squad had been by no means talked about a lot — if in any respect — for his or her defensive prowess. The defensive-minded White enters Indiana being recognized for main a bodily, bruising Connecticut Solar workforce that received their video games on that facet of the ground.
That is a simple marriage for each events.
Even with the numerous offensive potentialities for the Fever, protection must be on the prime of the checklist. The Fever received’t have prepared defenders like All-World defender Thomas, Most Improved Participant DiJonai Carrington or 2021 All-Protection Second Group choice Brionna Jones, however they’ll have a brand new coach prepared to emphasise that protection will probably be simply as necessary as offense. And fairly frankly, the possibilities are White received’t have the 2025 Fever carry out worse than the 2024 workforce did below Sides.
In 2024, the Fever ranked second-worst in opponents factors per recreation (87.7) and defensive ranking (107.5). And Fever opponents loved getting out on the break identical to they did, resulting in a third-worst rank in quick break factors allowed (11.3).
Right here comes White, who led the Connecticut Solar to a league-best offensive ranking (94.1) and opponents factors per recreation mark (73.6).
The problem, although, is Indiana lacks a degree of assault defender like Carrington and Thomas, who comfortably defends one by means of 5. However the numbers recommend {that a} White-led workforce can work out these points on that facet of the ground.
We’ll see how she solves these points in 2025.
