“We haven’t gotten through a portion of the season, honestly,” Kelsey Mitchell said about her team. That “portion” she’s talking about? It’s been a full-on rollercoaster for Indiana Fever. There’s been sky-high hype, crushing lows, big wins, and injuries that felt like they just wouldn’t quit. But through it all, we kinda forgot what this team is really chasing: a title. The start might not be ideal. But the goal still remains the same.
So let’s rewind real quick. Two back-to-back No. 1 picks, a 7-win jump last year that got them back to .500 and into the playoffs – things were trending up for Indy team, and then the Fever went and got Stephanie White. With only five players returning from last season, they showed up with experience and a way better defense.
Last year, their odds to win the title were somewhere between +1,000 and +2,500. But this year, before the season began, they jumped all the way to +350. That tied with the Aces and just behind the Liberty. People were talking. But then came the actual season. Injuries hit, DeWanna Bonner dipped, and suddenly it was like… wait, are we still that team?
Some big wins came along – beating the Liberty was huge – but losses to the Sun and even the expansion Valkyries raised eyebrows. But then came the Storm matchup, and something finally clicked. A few days later Fever won the Commissioner’s Cup. Now, two nights later, this team wiped the floor with the Aces. It was back-to-back magic in 48 hours. That’s when Coach White hit us with the real talk. When asked to describe her team’s mindset, she kept it so real.
Stephanie White, new Indiana Fever head coach, speaks Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference held on Salesforce Court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
“That game was great. The Commissioners Cup, we won a trophy. They won some money. But it doesn’t mean anything in the whole scheme of where we want to be and we’ve got to take care of business. We want to be able to enjoy these moments when they happen and then quickly refocus and reframe,” the HC said.
And look, they partied hard. We saw the champagne, the locker room dances, all the fun on IG Live. As they should! No Clark, odds stacked against them, and still they brought the hardware home. But even Kelsey Mitchell made it clear that it was always in their back heads to celebrate, sure, but get back to business right after.
“I think you guys got to see what it looked like for us to stay resilient throughout the course of, what, 48 hours. We just played Minnesota, and we got to prepare for this.” Indian star said. “We kind of deserved it based on our preparation and everything we had been through prior to this game.” Fever came back from Minnesota and didn’t skip a beat. Clark and Boston were already back on the court, goofing off in a half-court shootout during practice. The vibe was light, but you could tell, they were locked in. Because they know that a Commissioner’s Cup win doesn’t count in the regular season standings. It’s about keeping the momentum alive.
White also opened up about what’s working behind the scenes, especially that veteran-youngster mix. While this team is clearly built around Clark and Boston, they’ve surrounded them with vets who’ve been through the playoff wars. “You hear Tash [Natasha Howard] and you hear Syd [Sydney Colson] and you hear Soph [Sophie Cunningham] in the locker room communicating and helping them [newbies] understand and making sure that when we come out to practice every day that….we’re locked in and ready to go,” she said.
She strongly believed they have a great balance. That balance is exactly why they didn’t fold after beating the Lynx. They came out and held the Aces to just 25.8% shooting. The final score was 81-54. A complete beatdown. So, now the Fever are 9-8 and all of that happened because Indiana regrouped and didn’t let one big win go to their heads.
But the win also came with a tech for the coach.
Indiana Fever’s win ends years-long drought, But HC’s sideline tech steals the show
The Indiana Fever finally did it. After five long years and 16 straight losses, they finally beat the Las Vegas Aces. The blowout win had everything: dominant basketball, hustle plays, and even a little sideline chaos. Yes, we’re talking about head coach Stephanie White picking up a fourth-quarter technical.
White appeared furious about the Aces getting physical off the ball with Kelsey Mitchell, and the refs weren’t having it. The whistle blew, the T was handed out, but well… the vibes were still fun. Clark LOVED it. Even though she’s still sidelined with that groin injury, she couldn’t hold back. She leapt up from the bench, clapped her hands like a hyped-up fan, and rushed over to high-five White.
Moments later, Clark was spotted mouthing “f–k yeah!” White addressed the moment postgame, keeping things light. “Well, I don’t know about frustrations boiling over. It’s more so just making a point,” she said with a smile. And then jokingly said, “Caitlin said she’s got me, though. She just got a bonus.”
Stephanie White with the tech and Caitlin Clark is all about it pic.twitter.com/l6qfan6ujD
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) July 4, 2025
The whole Fever squad earned $30K bonuses after winning the Commissioner’s Cup earlier this week. Even though Clark didn’t play in that game, she’ll still get her share. And looks like she’s more than happy to share the spoils with her head coach.
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