Less than a month ago, the team made a trip to Phoenix for a battle with the Mercury. They fell 95-60 when the two teams actually played, a crushing defeat — and that trek kicked off a seemingly never-ending string of injuries and challenges currently hitting the Fever.
In the game itself, both Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald went down with season-ending injuries. And while the team was in Phoenix, star guard Caitlin Clark suffered a bone bruise in her left ankle. Since then, Sophie Cunningham had her season ended due to a torn MCL and Clark was revealed to be out for the season.
Hardship players have filled in where they can. After some time passed to build chemistry and overcome a lack of point guard depth, the Fever have gotten good minutes from the likes of Odyssey Sims, Shey Peddy and Aerial Powers. The team would not be in their current position in the playoff race without them.
But the hits keep coming for the Fever, with two new injuries within the organization announced this week. That, plus other news about the team’s new practice facility, another new signing and a close race for the postseason all entangle and make for a busy time in Indianapolis.
More bad injury luck
The Fever announced on Thursday that rookie forward Chloe Bibby will miss the rest of the 2025 season due to a left knee injury. She had finally planted her roots in the WNBA, but the Australian forward has been dealing with knee soreness since mid-to-late August, and her season is now over.
Bibby has had a life-changing season, but it’s been cut short. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has praised Bibby’s shooting and floor-spacing abilities — the team will miss those traits for the rest of the campaign.
“She looked really good heading into LA, and then when we traveled from LA to wherever it was we went next, her knee just swelled up, and we have not been able to get the swelling reduced,” White said of Bibby’s knee injury. The forward was active for that game in Los Angeles, then out two days later. “I think again, a long-term decision. She’s… definitely not going to be ready by the end of the season. Just didn’t get any relief trying to rehab [the knee].”
The 27-year old appeared in nine games for Indiana and averaged 3.9 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. She signed a rest-of-season contract on Aug. 1. “When it did turn into, ‘Hey, you’re going to stay,’ I cried again. Obviously, [I was] very excited about that,” Bibby told The Next of her emotions when that contract was offered. Her exciting debut year is over early.
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Keith Porter is also on the mend. Porter is a player development coach for the Fever, following Coach White from Connecticut to join the franchise this season. He is visible working one-on-one with Fever players often.
When the team was in Phoenix, Porter ruptured his Achilles. “His spirits are good. Keith is one of those guys that’s always happy,” White said. The head coach admitted it’s an adjustment to not have him on the court, but his voice is still prominent.
Bree Hall returns to the Fever
With Bibby’s season over, and with her already having missed multiple games, the Fever were immediately eligible for another hardship contract. They used it to re-sign rookie guard/wing Bree Hall.
Hall, 22, was actually drafted by the Fever in the second round of the 2025 WNBA Draft. She played in one preseason game for Indiana, posting nine points and four rebounds against the Brazilian national team. But Hall was waived prior to the start of the regular season.
The South Carolina product signed with the Golden State Valkyries for two short-term stints this season and has appeared in three games. Now, she’s back with the Fever to provide depth for the stretch run and, if applicable, the playoffs.
White likes her length and athleticism on the perimeter. “She continues to develop in this league,” the head coach said. And Hall believes that she has improved since her time with the Fever for preseason play thanks to her experience with other franchises.
“I feel like my basketball IQ has gotten a lot better,” Hall said. She acknowledged that the terminology was a big change for her in the pros, but she’s overcome that hurdle. “When I wasn’t on a team, I was working out a lot. Strength, conditioning, working on my ball-handling and shooting.”
Hall reunites with former Gamecocks teammate Aliyah Boston, one of the Fever’s star players. Hall lit up when asked about their relationship and shared that she called Boston and woke her up from a nap to let her know they’d be teammates again. That familiarity will be helpful for the Fever, who will need Hall to produce. The rookie has averaged 1.0 points and 0.7 rebounds per game in the WNBA so far.
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Indiana Fever break ground on new practice facility
Pacers Sports & Entertainment held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Fever’s new practice facility on Thursday morning. Several PS&E leaders attended, including team ownership. It’s a significant investment from the organization.
The three-story facility is set to open ahead of the 2027 WNBA season and will be connected to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Fever’s home arena, via a sky bridge. The Indiana Fever Sports Performance Center, as it’s named, has plans to hold spaces for performance and conditioning, recovery and rehabilitation, and mental health and wellness along with lifestyle support.
“The facility will have best-in-class amenities including two regulation-sized courts with natural light, strength and conditioning equipment, a yoga and Pilates area, hydration station and full-service kitchen. To help players recover and recharge, the facility will offer a spa-like retreat with massage, infrared light therapy, sauna, steam, heat studios, and multiple hydrotherapy pools. The team will also have a private outdoor courtyard and mental performance spaces. The center will boast a hair and nail salon, childcare space, and podcast and content production studio,” a release from PS&E says.
Most of the Fever roster and coaching staff attended the ceremony, and they picked up dirt with shovels to kick off the construction. Demolition of the previously-standing County Jail standing on the same lot began late in 2024.
White, who has roots with the Fever franchise that began over two decades ago, was emotional speaking at the event. She, along with President Kelly Krauskopf, know the growth of the franchise better than anyone.
“This moment is really hard to put into words. I think back to the day we stood in the arts garden and announced our logo to now,” White shared.
“The Fever have been here for 26 seasons now. We’ve been invested in women’s sports. The city has a goal of becoming the epicenter of women’s sports, and I think this is a critical piece and the next step in achieving that goal,” PS&E CEO Mel Raines said. “To have a world-class training facility for the Indiana Fever is incredibly important.”
The standings race heats up
As of this writing, the Fever’s magic number to clinch a playoff spot is three, and they have three more games. They are fighting with the Seattle Storm and Los Angeles Sparks for the final two postseason spots.
Seattle, Indiana and LA all play on Friday. The Fever battle again on Sunday, as do the Sparks. The next three days will go a long way in determining who gets the seventh and eighth seeds in the playoffs, and the Fever could secure their spot as early as Sunday if things go their way elsewhere.
Whatever final push the team makes, they’ll do it while banged up and using several hardship players all signed within the last month.
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