The 2025 Indiana Fever: an exciting franchise that took the driver’s seat and raced the league to new heights. But they aren’t stopping, they have undergone a dramatic transformation in just one season. They brought in a new head coach before the season began and built an entirely new supporting cast around their young core. Most importantly, they embraced a sense of urgency—a clear focus on winning the title now. The keyword echoing throughout the organization is: NOW.
Before the draft night, Indiana Fever HC Stephanie White was questioned about what more she was looking to add via the draft. “I think the most important thing for us is defensive versatility,” White said “Now we know we have a lot of weapons on the offensive end of the floor, but on those nights when we’re not making shots, or when things are a little bit more difficult, we’ve got to be able to get stops, and we’ve got to get better in that area, no doubt about it.” The Fever’s roster decisions were clearly defense-centric—understandable, given they already had multiple scoring options. But is defense a one-player job? Not at all.
Team defense is what creates pressure, forces mistakes, and wins close games. That’s why assistant coach Briann January has been pushing the Fever hard on the defensive end. Caitlin Clark acknowledged it, noting that Briann has them extending their defense all the way to 94 feet with a full-court press. She even joked, ‘I’m not used to this. I don’t do that.‘ And she’s not wrong—she’s more used to being guarded from that distance than doing the guarding herself.
Jokes aside, Caitlin being Caitlin, she’s ready to take on the challenge. Training session clips circulating online clearly show that the Fever are taking defense seriously. While ramping up defensive intensity can sometimes drain energy from the offensive end, this Fever squad—loaded with depth and talent—seems well-equipped to handle both ends of the floor.
Caitlin Clark says assistant coach Briann January has been challenging the Fever defensively, including things like picking up their person at 94 feet.
She joked, “I’m not used to this. I don’t do that.”
But said that she’s taking the challenge.
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) May 4, 2025
During a media day interview in pre-season camp, White also made it clear how they are moulding the mindset to reach that stage. “We’re putting a little bit more ownership on them in coverages and recognizing action and recognizing when you’re beaten,” White explained. “Recognizing action before it happens as opposed to waiting until it happens. … We use three A’s: active, anticipate, and be aware. And that’s the mindset that we have to have on the defensive end.”
Clark, known for her offensive prowess, will need to adjust her game slightly to become more impactful on the defensive end. But CC is a relentless worker and has proven herself at every level. In her rookie season, she averaged 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per game—solid numbers for a first-year player. With her current defensive workload, those stats could see an uptick. Could this be the season she wins MVP? Or, more importantly, will the Fever capture the title this season?
The Indiana Fever is already making the championship buzz.
Many analysts counted the 2024 Indiana Fever out of the playoff picture, despite having Caitlin Clark in the mix. The argument was that it would take time to adjust to the ‘big league’ and form chemistry with the teammates. But the post-Olympic phase was a massive slap in the face for the doubters. Fever made it to the postseason behind their young core production only.
Now, nearly everyone is putting the Indiana Fever in the title contender race, within the top three challengers. The squad additions and preparations may soon make the dream a reality. Their two preseason games also support the fact. An overtime win against the Washington Mystics showcased the team’s defensive strength. And then a 108-44 routing of the Brazil national side showcased the offensive prowess of the side.
With HC White joining forces with Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever, the chances of returning to the top have gotten significantly better. Last season, Catlin Clark and her team ranked third in offensive rating while defensively 11th out of 12 teams. In contrast, White’s Connecticut team led the WNBA in the defensive category last year and eighth in the offence.
So when the best offensive team gets the coach of the best defensive side, it could be a major lift for their chances of getting closer to the championship dream.
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