The Indiana Fever marked the start of the Caitlin Clark era in 2024 and took the WNBA world by storm. The year 2025 could be when the Fever truly establish themselves as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
That’s a possibility with the addition of new Fever head coach Stephanie White, who left an aging Connecticut Sun team to lead a neophyte Fever core that just ended a seven-year playoff drought .
White’s return to Indiana is a homecoming for the fifth-year head coach. She began her WNBA head coaching career in Indiana (2015-16) and also spent four of her five WNBA playing years there (2000-04).
But will this return to the country turn into a lasting and fulfilling mandate?
How White approaches some of these topics might answer that question.
Clark’s effectiveness
As expected, Clark proved to be the dynamic Iowa point guard we all expected. Just check out the accolades: Rookie of the Year, 2024 WNBA First Team, All-Star Game Starter, 2024 All-Rookie Team, 2024 Assist Champion and fourth place in MVP voting.
But there is one glaring problem for Clark that White’s new system must address: turnovers.
The leader in assists (8.4) is the one who turned the ball over the most in 2024, averaging 5.6 per game. Her 5.6 average is two more than second place Alyssa Thomas and 2.6 more than third places Natasha Cloud, Kahleah Copper and Dearica Hamby.
Clark also holds the WNBA single-season total turnover record of 223, 78 more than Thomas’ previous record set in 2023.
Turnovers can be expected from a young player with high usage rates – her 26.2% ranks ninth in the WNBA –. But the next step in Clark’s evolution is racking up those assist numbers at a much lower turnover rate. This is where White comes in.
A goal for White could be to implement a system that doesn’t totally abandon the Fever’s fast-paced offense while reducing the star guard’s turnover.
Getting the most out of Nalyssa
Forward NaLyssa Smith began her WNBA career in 2022 and quickly looked poised to become one of the league’s brightest youngsters. His rise continued in 2023, when his points per game increased from 13.5 to 15.5. But in 2024, his points per game (10.6) and shot attempts (8.8) have reached a career low under head coach Christie Sides.
Alongside Clark and Aliyah Boston, a more involved Smith could form a Big 3 in Indiana for the foreseeable future. They will all start the 2025 season before the age of 24 and have already spent one season together. The two forwards – Boston and Smith – don’t space the floor, but Clark’s range, gravity and playmaking generate big opportunities on every possession.
This should be a priority for White in 2025.
However, Smith’s involvement in the offense depends greatly on Kelsey Mitchell’s decision this offseason. Mitchell, 28, who had career highs in scoring (19.2) and completion percentage (46.8) in her seventh season at Indiana, is an unrestricted free agent.
A departure from Mitchell, who played in his second All-Star Game in 2024, makes White’s youth move to Indiana a smoother move. If Mitchell stays, Smith may never get the chance to be a second or third option with the Fever.
And showcasing offensive talent is crucial for Smith, who is expected to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025 season.
Can White bring the defense to Indiana?
The 2024 Fever has never been mentioned much – if at all – for its defensive prowess. The defensive-minded White enters Indiana known for leading a physical and deadly Sun team that won its games on that side of the ball.
It’s an easy marriage for both parties.
Even with the Fever’s endless offensive possibilities, defense has to be at the top of the list. The Fever won’t have willing defenders like all-around defender Thomas, Most Improved Player DiJonai Carrington or 2021 All-Defense Second Team selection Brionna Jones, but they will have a new coach ready to emphasize that defense will be everything as important as offense. And frankly, there’s a good chance White doesn’t see the 2025 Fever performing any worse than the 2024 team under Sides.
In 2024, the Fever ranked second in opponent points per game (87.7) and defensive rating (107.5). And Fever’s opponents liked to come out on the break just as they did, leading them to the third-worst ranking in fast break points allowed (11.3).
Enter White, who led the Sun to the league’s best offensive rating (94.1) and opponents’ points per game (73.6).
The problem, however, is that Indiana doesn’t have a point-of-attack defender like Carrington and Thomas, who comfortably defend one through five. But the numbers suggest a White-led team can solve those problems on that end of the field.
We will see how it solves these problems in 2025.
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