Fever Focus on Defense, Growth in Training Camp

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WNBA Indiana Fever

Fever Focus on Defense, Growth in Training Camp

April 27, 2025 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Indiana Fever News Release


The Indiana Fever opened training camp on Sunday with a completely revamped roster. Ten new players and an entirely new coaching staff took over Salesforce court to begin preparations for the 2025 WNBA season, and the Fever are scheduled to be in action for their first preseason game as soon as Saturday, May 3.

A total overhaul for last season's team that finished third in the Eastern Conference with a 20-20 record - Indiana's winningest season since 2015 - marks the beginning of a renewed pursuit of excellence for Indiana's WNBA franchise.

"I don't think the expectations [have] changed for the Fever," Aliyah Boston said on Sunday. "I think it's about winning, being able to be [at] the top of the league, [and] come home with that ring.

"I feel like every year you go into a new season, that is your expectation. So that hasn't really changed...everyone knows that expectation. Everyone knows that this is what we're coming in to do."

The Fever's busy offseason added a swath of new players via trade, free agency signings, and the WNBA draft. Indiana's front office approached the construction of the 2025 team with a uniform goal - add defensive intensity and leadership to the young Fever core.

After finishing the 2024 campaign with the league's 11th-best defense, Indiana strives to improve on the defensive side of the ball in 2025.

Offseason additions like DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sydney Colson give the Fever veteran leadership and defensive pillars on which Indiana can build up a wall of resistance for its opponents.

"I'm a competitor, so I'm going to make them compete," Bonner said of her new Fever teammates. "I'll make them compete on defense. That's what I've been doing the last couple years, so it's fun. We'll make it fun."

The veteran presence pays dividends for Indiana in more than just defensive ratings - players like Boston, who are already carving out space for themselves in the WNBA, gain access to foundational knowledge surrounding the grit involved in the quest for championships.

"What I love about [the veterans] the most is the way that they communicate," Boston said. "No matter what, they're talking to you. They're telling you what they think, what they see, and I feel like as a player that wants to continue to grow, there's no better feeling than having an experienced vet that has won so many times. Just being able to learn from them is amazing."

Indiana also intends to use its acquisitions to balance its attack surrounding the generational offensive engine in Caitlin Clark. Last season, Clark's usage rate was top-nine in the league. Her season averages of 19 points, six rebounds, and eight assists helped Indiana to record the third-best offensive rating in the WNBA for the 2024 season.

Coach Stephanie White and staff look to level that production with the talent Indiana was able to add in the offseason as the Fever seek to grow into an offense with multi-dimensional scoring capabilities.

"She's such a dynamic player," Bonner said of Clark. "She does a lot for this team, and we understand that. I think everybody here just wants to make her life easier, and she wants to make everybody else's life easier. So just putting all the pieces together [so] that we can be a threat on every level of the court...I'm just ready to put it all together."

The Fever will spend the week leading up to their preseason debut in training camp as they implement new schemes and finalize their roster. The Washington Mystics visit Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, May 3, at 1:00 PM ET for preseason action, and the first opportunity for White and her staff to see her new team in game action.

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