“Our ambitions are bigger than headlines and highlight reels,” Indiana Fever declared on Instagram, and they meant it. Sure, all eyes are on them are because of Caitlin Clark. And yes, most of the buzz is about the generational superstar lighting up the league. But you know what? Indiana didn’t just stop at riding the hype wave. They saw the spotlight, grabbed a mic, and said, “Let’s fix everything while the world’s watching.”
From free agency to the draft, Indiana didn’t leave a single gap unplugged. They’ve been cooking up a new recipe that demands defense. This isn’t last season’s .500 team anymore. With a new front office, fresh coaching staff, and only five returning players (Aaliyah Boston, Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, and Damiris Dantas), the Fever have turned over more than half their roster. Ten new players are in the mix.
And let’s rewind for a sec, because it’s important to remember why this overhaul happened. Statistically, Indiana’s defense last year was…well, rough. They gave up 87.7 points per game, ranked 11th out of 12 teams, and let opponents shoot 44.1% from the field and 36.1% from deep. That’s not going to cut it if you’re dreaming of rings.
So what did the Fever do? They decided enough was enough. The mission for 2025 became crystal clear: add defense, leadership, and that gritty, no-easy-buckets energy to this young core. And we’re already seeing signs it’s working. Analyst Rachel DeMita caught the Fever’s early training footage and couldn’t stop praising what she saw. “One thing I noticed here was that their defense is moving really well together,” she said on her YouTube channel.
Jun 10, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White watches from the sideline as they take on the Indiana Fever at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
“That’s something Stephanie White has emphasized and something the Fever struggled with last season.” DeMita didn’t stop there. She added even the first 40 seconds of the clip looked “really promising.” She’s not wrong. If you watch it yourself, you can see the intensity was high, everyone looked locked in, and the movement is chef’s kiss.
A lot of that has to do with the new faces. Indiana scooped up defensive anchors like DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sydney Colson in the offseason. These aren’t just seasoned vets, they’re vocal leaders who get what it takes to build a championship-level defense. Bonner even said it herself: “I’m a competitor, so I’m going to make them compete…on defense. We’ll make it fun.”
And running the show from the sideline is the one and only coach White, back in Indiana after a successful stint with the Connecticut Sun. Her Sun teams were first and second in defense the last two years. She brought that same fast-paced, defense-first energy to her first Fever practice. Hope we saw a lot it when the season begins.
Additionally, here’s the question that’s been bouncing around everyone’s heads—what’s the starting five gonna look like? Well, turns out, it’s not much of a mystery. Even DeMita had it figured out pretty fast. “One thing that stood out to me almost immediately,” she said, “was you can see who the projected starters are going to be—so that’s DeWanna Bonner, Aaliyah Boston, Natasha Howard, Kelsey Mitchell, and of course, Caitlin Clark at point.”
But it doesn’t stop there. Indiana’s got some real depth off the bench too including Colson at PG, Brianna Turner holding it down on defense, Lexie Hull with the hustle, and more solid role players ready to play when they are called. Truly, they are not playing for just the headlines.
Oh, and they didn’t just draft for highlight reels, too. Defense was still the name of the game in Indy.
Caitlin Clark’s crew got defense power- Meet the fever’s lockdown rookies
At their best in 2024, the Fever’s offense could hang with anyone. With Clark and Mitchell lighting it up, they even led the league in effective field goal percentage (52.3%). But on off-nights, when the shots weren’t falling, their defense didn’t pick up the slack. That’s why Coach White made one thing very clear during the draft: “The most important thing for us was defensive versatility.”
So, who did Indiana pick? Three rookies built for defense: Makayla Timpson (Florida State), Bree Hall (South Carolina), and Yvonne Ejim (Gonzaga). Each brings something different to the table but they all bring one thing the Fever need: stops.
Timpson is a total rim protector. Three-time ACC All-Defensive honoree. Averaged 3.1 blocks per game last season, third-best in all of D-I. Oh, and did we mention her 6-foot-10 wingspan? Fever GM Amber Cox called her a “defensive powerhouse,” and she wasn’t kidding. Then there’s Bree Hall—maybe not a stat-sheet stuffer, but a lockdown wing defender who helped South Carolina win two national championships. Her physicality on the perimeter is already drawing attention, and if you’ve been coached by Dawn Staley, you’re probably made of steel.
February 20, 2025: South Carolina guard Bree Hall 23 passes the ball. NCAA, College League, USA basketball game between University of Arkansas and University of South Carolina at Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina. /CSM Columbia United States of America – ZUMAc04_ 20250220_zma_c04_178 Copyright: xDavidxBeachx
Yvonne Ejim is another versatile forward who brings length and effort to every possession. All three of these players were drafted with a defensive mindset, and all three are going to make it very hard for opponents to find any easy buckets.
But Indiana can only carry 11 players. And with 10 already under contract and only about $112k in cap space left, the Fever might not be able to keep all three rookies. According to Her Hoop Stats, both Timpson and Hall would make $69k+ this year, while Ejim comes in slightly lower at around $66k. So, some tough choices are ahead. Let’s when the regular season tips off on May 17 against the Chicago Sky, who shows up with Caitlin Clark & Co.
The post Caitlin Clark & Co. on Right Track to Fix Last Season’s Shortcomings as National Analyst Dissects Indiana Fever’s Starting 5 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
