After showing signs of improvement last season, the Indiana Fever are back to facing familiar challenges with a record tainted by five losses. While Caitlin Clark’s return is eagerly awaited, the team’s issues run deeper than her absence, as the roster still struggles to find cohesion.
Last year, the Fever achieved their highest win total since 2016 and had a strong offensive rating of 104.2, ranking third in the WNBA. However, their defense remained a weak point, consistently among the league’s worst. To address this, the front office made significant offseason acquisitions, adding defensive veterans DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard to create a more balanced team.
On Locked on Women’s Basketball, host Chelsea Leite asked Fever beat reporter Tony East if the roster was built to succeed without Clark. East noted that while the team is tailored to Clark’s offensive strengths, the new defensive additions were meant to improve transition play, though consistency has been lacking.
Defensively, the Fever have shown progress, boasting a 95.2 defensive rating—second only to the New York Liberty and their best since 2013. Despite this, wins remain elusive. Their only convincing performance was a 30-point blowout in the season opener, but they’ve struggled to maintain momentum.
- Coach Briann January, known for her defensive tenacity as a player, is actively working to instill toughness in the team. Clark has acknowledged January’s push for physicality, which is starting to shape the team’s mindset. However, despite adding strong defenders like Bonner, Howard, Sophie Cunningham, and Jordin Canada, the Fever still haven’t gelled as a cohesive defensive unit.
SOURCE: MARCA
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