At the Fever’s media day on Wednesday, many players were quiet when it came to specific expectations. They generally noted that there’s an internal belief that Indiana has a good roster and can make noise.
But star guard Caitlin Clark, who is entering her second season, didn’t shy away from specifics. Her faith in the Fever was clear.
“A championship,” Clark told reporters when asked what a successful season would be for Indiana in 2025. The 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year said there have been conversations about that being the goal.
The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom
The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.
That’s a lofty objective for the Fever, who have played in two playoff games since 2016 and won zero. It’s possible with the talent on the roster, but becoming a championship contender is not easy — and expectations, especially when they are fresh, can challenge a roster and staff.
Indiana’s inexperience comes at a franchise level, but not when it comes to individuals. The front office added DeWanna Bonner, Sydney Colson, Brianna Turner, Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Howard in the offseason. All of those players have reached the WNBA Finals before, as has new head coach Stephanie White. Zoom out and look at the Fever, and there’s a lot of postseason experience.
This exact group of talent has few postseason reps, though, and three of the team’s four 2024 WNBA All-Stars have never won a playoff game in Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.
That’s why this season will be all about managing expectations day-to-day for the Fever. Many people project them to be among the best teams in the WNBA this year but slightly below the top. How will that level of play be received when the team has clearly stated title expectations?
That’s not to say the season would be a disappointment if the team is only the third- or fourth-best group. The opposite is true: Indiana should be thrilled with that, as it would likely prove that its young core and new head coach are heading in the right direction.
What will be fresh and challenging for the Fever is the emotions that can come with high expectations, especially for a team as popular as Indiana. What happens if the team loses three games in the row? Who will step up to guide the team through that? What adjustments will White make as a result?
The Fever have plenty of proven players, so difficult times will likely be met with the right words and actions. White credited her life experience in making her more level-headed during the highs and lows of a season, a valuable trait for the coach of a growing team with big goals.
But how the team responds in those instances will reveal whether the Fever are ready to contend now or not.
“I think it’s going to be keeping the main thing the main thing,” Boston told reporters about managing expectations internally. “For us, it’s about winning. Making sure that we continue to protect our locker room and don’t let outside noise get in.”
Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?
Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.
Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.
When winning is the primary goal, losing hits differently. In recent seasons, the Fever were focused on development. With younger rosters, they hoped to get better and show progress. The win-loss mark wasn’t important, and tough stretches weren’t as hard on everyone. Improving players were retained, and stagnant or ineffective ones weren’t.
Now, Indiana isn’t building. It has been built, and development is no longer the primary objective. Younger players who aren’t producing won’t cut it. The team, as Clark said, wants to make a run.
In some ways, it’s good that the Fever are a blank slate with a fresh front office and coaching staff alongside a half-dozen recent additions to the roster. The team can build a culture, play style and so much more from the ground up.
On the other hand, it has a lot to bring together — and it’s rare that a franchise with so much change has lofty expectations.
“It’s exciting,” Bonner told reporters about that blend. “It’s exciting because there’s so many rotations and combinations you can play with. … We all are just giving each other grace and trying to figure it out. But at the same time, we have a goal. We want to win.”
That’s why this season will reveal everything about the Fever and their immediate direction. Are they ready for expectations? Will the younger, still-being-formed group click right away and roll to a top-three record? If so, the current core and the franchise leaders will know they’re in great shape for the foreseeable future with Clark and Boston surrounded by an up-tempo, shooting-heavy style.
Save 30% when you pre-order “Becoming Caitlin Clark”
Howard Megdal’s newest book will be released this June! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including nterviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.
Click the link below to preorder and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.
If the expectations prove to be too immense, then the Fever will have to reassess. Were they not good enough, or were they not prepared for the challenges and emotions that come with being worse than expected? What has to change to solve those problems? Those are the questions that eventually come for almost every team trying to reach the mountaintop.
“First things first, we’ve got to talk about it,” White said of managing expectations. “You can’t rely on talent. … We have to rely on our daily discipline. We have to be disciplined in how we attack every single day. Our job as coaches is to maintain that level. Not just the level that we expect, but the level that we accept on a daily basis. …
“We’ve got to put it together quickly, we have to stay healthy [and] we have to peak at the right time.”
Last year, things became dramatically different in Indianapolis right away. But expectations were simple: Make the playoffs. Now, Indiana again looks a lot different, but the goals are much higher. This campaign will be remembered by how close the team comes to those objectives.
Related content: Locked On Women’s Basketball: Caitlin Clark wants a championship
Can the Indiana Fever finally defend?
Indiana has finished in the bottom two in points allowed per 100 possessions in every season since 2016. Fixing the defense may be the most important thing for this roster to launch.
The Fever will have no problem scoring — they ranked third in offensive efficiency last season and return their top three offensive weapons.
A key storyline will be their ability to stop opposing teams from scoring. Bonner, Howard, Cunningham and Turner have been successful defenders in the past, so talent alone could lead to growth on the defensive end. White is implementing her system, which is new for returning players and free agents alike, during training camp.
“I think more so than coverages, it’s terminology,” White said about the adjustment that comes with learning a new system. She wants the team to recognize things before they happen and uses “three A’s” as her core defensive principles: activate, anticipate and be aware.
What types of players will fit?
Winning is objective No. 1, but right behind it is figuring out pieces for the long-term future.
With collective bargaining agreement negotiations ongoing between the WNBA and its Players Association, most WNBA players are on contracts that expire after the 2025 season. There will be significant roster shuffling starting next winter.
There’s a chance that the only two players under contract for Indiana to begin the 2026 offseason are former No. 1 overall draft picks Clark and Boston. After adding more shooters, another defensive big, versatile guards and other pieces for 2025, the Fever can use this season to get a sense of what types of players fit best around their consecutive top picks.
The new front office values versatility. What else will pop this year? Will shooting wings look excellent in a system tailor-made for their success? How much will having another defensively sound center matter? What is the right amount of ball-handling from players other than Clark and Mitchell? With more established leaders in place, the next step for the Fever is figuring out what kinds of players and personalities fit their long-term vision.
Tune in to Locked On Women’s Basketball
Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.
Will Clark and Boston roll right away?
Last year, Clark had roughly one month to transition from college to the WNBA. Understandably, she started the season slow before exploding in impact after about a month. In Year 2, she knows what the WNBA is all about now.
Boston, who was in her second season, also underperformed — by her own admission — to open the campaign. With the benefit of hindsight, the center attributed that to her major adjustment in responsibilities and play style on a Clark-led team. Now, Boston is more confident that she’ll start the season strong.
“I think knowing [how Clark plays] and having that mindset helped me in the offseason,” Boston said, “because I know exactly where I need to be.”
There are many questions about the Fever and their ability to manage expectations with so much novelty. But if Boston and Clark are great from the start, the Fever will be fine. 2025 could be their time to shine.
