Entering the 2012 season, the Indiana Fever were viewed as a strong team, but definitely not the title favorites. The road was rocky, the odds not exactly in their favor. And then, Finals time, and they lose Katie Douglas and Jeanette Pohlen. That could’ve ended the story right there. But Tamika Catchings and the bench had different plans. They held it down, turned the heat up, and brought Indiana its first-ever pro basketball championship. Fast forward to 2025, there’s a whole new wave, a new name leading the charge. Caitlin Clark. While it’s a different era, one thing feels the same….the Fever are once again a strong, hungry team with something to prove.
With the fourth-best odds heading into the season, the Fever are the storyline. Everyone’s watching. Everyone’s expecting. But the big question, are they feeling the pressure? Well, when DeWanna Bonner was asked if the team is using that pressure as a weapon, she came through with the most classic response.
“I don’t know where the pressure come from because we haven’t proved anything yet,” she said smiling. “I think people just you know…media kind of run with it honestly and kind of create the pressure.” She added but they don’t have the ‘hunty kind of mentality. Why?
“Because yeah roster can look really good on paper but it’s going to be the work that we put in and we know that, so, I don’t really think that this team have pressure,” she expressed. Bonner emphasized how they are just trying to put it all together to be successful just like every other team.
Oct 4, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun guard DeWanna Bonner (24) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Minnesota Lynx during game three of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Mohegan Sun Arena. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
She’s not wrong, though. Last year’s Fever squad did make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, but it’s a whole new world now. Only five players from that squad are returning, and now, three of the old starters are rolling with Bonner and Natasha Howard. Bonner, by the way, was an absolute menace against the Fever in the postseason last year, dropping 37 across two games and leaving the Sun with a +30 differential when she was on the floor. She cooked them. Now, She’s with them. That’s the kind of switch-up Indiana fans can celebrate.
And speaking of power moves, Natasha Howard is another gem especially when the Fever needed defense badly. Sydney Colson jumped in to add some playoff experience, and well, Sophie Cunningham has already proved she’s a perfect fit. When CC was out vs. the Mystics, she stepped up big. Also, they added Brianna Turner’s, who from the bench will be waiting to wreak havoc.
On paper, this team looks scary good. Depth, experience, firepower…it’s all there. So when Bonner dropped that “no pressure” line, the internet had thoughts.
Championship or bust? Fever fans say Caitlin Clark’s teammate’s comments mean nothing
Fever fans are not here for any “don’t get your hopes too high” talk, especially not after everything the team’s been saying since training camp started. One fan came straight for it, saying, “Mind you, prior to this everyone on that roster including their star said championship is the goal…” Remember when Caitlin Clark was asked what would make Indiana’s season a success? She didn’t blink and just hit back with “A championship.” So now when Bonner tries to soften the pressure or downplay expectations, fans are like…that ship’s sailed.
Another chimed in, “There’s pressure, championship, or bust. It’s too late to backpedal now.” Clark didn’t just bring elite shooting or court vision to Indy—she brought an army. This fanbase is wildly committed, social media’s already deep in the “Fever winning it all” agenda, and from Day 1, Stephanie White has been crystal clear about their mission: title contention.
So when fans hear talk that sounds like pulling back, they’re not buying it. And then came the numbers game. “She’s deflecting they’re legit too 2/3 favorites to win it all second highest projected win total and they have 5 all stars in they’re starting five it’s hella pressure on on them as a team cause if they lose all them besides CC getting blamed ,” one fan dropped.
Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, DeWanna Bonner, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard—yes, five All-Stars in the starting lineup. Two of them, Bonner and Howard, have championship rings already. Add to that the fact that they’ve got the second-highest projected win total and the most nationally televised games this season. The league, the media, the fans—they’ve already marked Indiana as the team to watch. So if they fall short, it’ll be a full-blown team roast.
DeWanna Bonner made a good point today. She said there shouldn’t be pressure on the Fever because they haven’t proven anything yet
— Nick Andre (@NickAndreATR) May 8, 2025
“Lolllll she said imma hold ur hand… don’t get ur hopes up on us,” another laughed. But we know that a stacked lineup doesn’t always click on court. Indiana’s chemistry off the court is golden—they love each other, no doubt—but after preseason wins Coach White didn’t sugarcoat it. Missed defensive rotations, poor rebounding, spacing disasters… “Sometimes we were on top of one another,” she admitted.
So, maybe Bonner was just keeping it 100. Another fan brought up a big ol’ warning sign from just last season. “If they don’t win a championship, then their season is a bust,” they said and that immediately reminded us of Dallas. The 2024 Wings had everything going for them. Satou Sabally and Arike Ogunbowale were coming off a monster season, the core was intact, the hype was very real. But injuries hit like a wrecking ball. Sabally was out due to a shoulder injury, Howard missed a chunk of games, and even Maddy Siegrist was sidelined mid-season. The result was a 9-31 record and a whole lotta what-ifs.
Well, Fever fans must be hoping that doesn’t happen to them. But we never know. Let’s see if Caitlin Clark’s Indiana can actually get the job done.
The post Caitlin Clark’s New Teammate Turns Laughing Stock as WNBA Community Calls Out Her Statement About Pressure at Indiana Fever appeared first on EssentiallySports.
