No coach in the WNBA would want to swap places with Stephanie White right now. The Indiana Fever is a powerhouse when completely healthy, but the team is fighting a losing battle against injuries. After a docile trade deadline without Caitlin Clark on the floor, the Fever lost both Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald in one fell swoop, making analysts wonder where the team was headed next. So, to sustain their playoff push, Amber Cox and Kelly Krauskopf added guard Odyssey Sims to the lineup.
While Sims is a seasoned vet at 33 years old and is known for her great production from the bench, her start at Indiana has been slow. The five-foot-eight guard is currently averaging 5.5 points in two games for the Fever, and seems a little lost while running up and down the court. There’s no denying her talent, but her acclimatization to the team hasn’t been very smooth.
Sims isn’t worried, however. “Just giving myself grace coming into a new team, learning quickly, studying. Of course, I’m just learning to play, and it’s not that I’m just coming to practice. It’s just that everything happens pretty fast.” She said after the Mystics’ loss.
While no one can expect a newcomer to get everything right, there’s a critical question on everyone’s mind… Does Indiana have time to hold their new players’ hands through the process? They’re a playoff team inching closer to the end of the season. Every game is do-or-die, and every loss feels like a failure. When reporters asked Fever HC Stephanie White how tough it is to balance giving her new players grace while battling for a playoff spot, her response was spot on. “It is [tough].”
The loss against Washington was significant. Even though Indiana’s 18-16 record is over .500 and third in the conference, the Mystics are slowly catching up. There’s more and more on the line every night, and coach White gets it! “It takes a lot out of you when you lose players, especially the way that [the injuries] happened. It takes a lot out of you like emotionally, mentally. But it’s sports. And it’s part of the business, it’s part of what we do.” She said, adding that the first game back is always an adrenaline rush. According to the head coach, everybody needs to feel like “they’ve got to do a little bit more.”
This season hasn’t been easy on Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever. Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson are out for the season, no one knows when Caitlin Clark is coming back, and the drama? It just doesn’t seem to end. After all, DeWanna Bonner’s exit is still a sore spot for many in the organization, and with Cunningham’s recent comments on the matter, the situation is spiralling yet again. Let’s find out what’s going on!
Caitlin Clark’s protector addresses beef with former teammate
A beef between Sophie Cunningham and DeWanna Bonner was not on our 2025 bingo cards. After Bonner’s abrupt exit, and a lot of shade from the 13-year WNBA vet, Cunningham had things to air out. “I want her to end her career and be happy, but I also think like, it’s OK to be professional about it… There’s a way to handle that, I think.” Sophie Cunningham said on her podcast a couple of weeks ago, and apparently, DB didn’t appreciate that.
There were some harsh words exchanged between DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham, and Lexie Hull when Indiana got blown out 95-60 by the Phoenix Mercury. Cunningham already has a lot of history with the Mercury, and the situation with DB made the drama intensify.
Aug 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts alongside Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner (14) in the first half of a WNBA game at PHX Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Indiana Fever guard was pretty upfront about her situation on the Aug 13th episode of her podcast. “There’s some, maybe a little bit of beef, because of our last podcast with how I mentioned some people should handle situations.” Cunningham said, admitting beef between her and DB. “She didn’t listen to the whole clip. She just saw the thing about she could have handled it more professional, which honestly, everyone that’s talked to me besides their team was like, ‘Yeah, she could have.’ And so it’s like, ‘Duh.’”
It will be interesting to see how this entire situation develops. The last encounter between Phoenix and Indiana was completely lopsided, and it’s clear that this beef goes deeper than many realise. One thing is for sure: We have a new rivalry on our hands. What will come next in this Fever vs Mercury saga? Can Indiana get revenge for their latest 35-point loss? Only time will tell.
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