INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark stayed comparatively quiet because the Indiana Fever launched into a serious offseason overhaul.
Stephanie White took over as coach. Amber Cox turned basic supervisor. The development of a brand new observe facility was introduced. After which the franchise introduced in WNBA champs DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard.
The crew welcomed Bonner on Monday, and Clark was there to offer a ringing endorsement of the offseason strikes.
“They know what it takes to win, they know what it takes to get to the Finals, they know what it takes to win championships,” Clark mentioned, referring to the newcomers. “I believe it is precisely what we would have liked in our locker room. But in addition they are not simply actually good basketball gamers, they’re nice leaders and nice folks and I do know the entrance workplace prioritized that.”
Make no mistake, Clark nonetheless runs this crew on the court docket.
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In a historic season that featured the league’s Rookie of the Yr breaking the WNBA’s season mark for assists, taking part in routinely in entrance of sellout crowds and drawing report tv scores, the previous Iowa star performed a pivotal function in serving to the Fever snap a seven-year postseason drought whereas additionally bringing the franchise again to nationwide prominence.
And with All-Star taking pictures guard Kelsey Mitchell and All-Star ahead Aliyah Boston, the 2023 Rookie of the Yr, each again subsequent season, Clark thinks the Fever may take one other leap ahead in 2025 and believes the newcomers see it, too.
“That is the franchise of all ladies’s sports activities, I say, it doesn’t matter what sport it’s,” she mentioned. “They see the kind of crowds we get, the joy we’re producing not solely in Indiana however all throughout the nation. I believe the following few years are going to be wonderful for this franchise and can proceed to be for, hopefully, the following 10 years. Hopefully, we win just a few championships.”
Indiana has largely crammed one obvious omission from final 12 months — postseason expertise.
Final week, the Fever reintroduced Howard, a two-time All-Star and three-time league champ, to the franchise that originally drafted the ahead No. 5 total in 2014.
Bonner, the six-time All-Star and two-time league champ who wants seven factors to surpass Tina Thompson for No. 3 on the WNBA’s profession scoring checklist, labored out with Clark previous to her introductory information convention.
Clark then attended the occasion and although she wasn’t scheduled to talk, did anyway.
“I believe will probably be a number of enjoyable to get within the health club and be with my teammates and simply begin placing the items collectively and see what works or what would not,” Clark mentioned. “However I believe we will have a number of totally different choices to do a number of various things. I believe that is what’s tremendous thrilling.”
Bonner, in the meantime, will put on No. 25 as a substitute of her conventional No. 24 as a result of that quantity has been retired by the Fever in honor of Corridor of Famer Tamika Catchings. Now, Bonner can deal with teaming with Clark and Boston on the court docket whereas serving to mentor them into championship gamers within the locker room.
Clark and Bonner crossed paths in a single notable trade final 12 months once they have been concerned in a quick scuffle in the course of the second and ultimate recreation of a playoff collection.
“I believe it was simply two aggressive gamers who wished to win and push their groups to get to the end line,” Bonner mentioned. “It is the playoffs so feelings are excessive, tensions are excessive, however I am excited to step on the court docket with Caitlin. I believe we simply feed effectively off of one another.”
That is definitely the plan as Indiana continues to fine-tune its roster.
Crew officers additionally introduced final week that they signed free agent guard Sydney Colson, a two-time league champ, and bought guard Sophie Cunningham from Phoenix in a four-team deal that value Indiana beginning ahead NaLyssa Smith.
Indiana additionally waived former draft picks Grace Berger and Victaria Saxton, and crew officers introduced it and ahead Katie Lou Samuelson agreed to half methods.
White, Cox and president of basketball and enterprise operations Kelly Krauskopf have not mentioned but whether or not they’re completed making strikes earlier than the WNBA draft in April.
Even when they do not, Clark and Bonner every consider this model of the Fever can contend for a title — and that is why the free brokers joined the Fever.
“A dynamic level guard can put you in place to attain simply and I believe taking part in with Kelsey and A.B. [Boston], it is simply going to be straightforward to attain,” Bonner mentioned, earlier than speaking concerning the crowd on the information convention. “I walked in, I used to be like, ‘Oh my God, I do not know if I’ve ever been in entrance of this many media folks.’ Hopefully, I can put out the product everybody deserves right here.”