If you’ve been a long-time basketball fan and wanted to watch hoops even though it’s the offseason of the PBA and NBA, then let me introduce you to another one of Rebanse’s originals called “WNBA Spotlight”.
In this series, we focus on certain WNBA teams, their star players, their history, and their probable future. Wanted a brief background for what to expect in the WNBA? We’ve previously made a WNBA Guide for you.
Origins: Newest Addition in the 21st Century
The Indiana Fever first joined the league way back during the start of the 2000 season.
Aside from the Fevers, the league also welcomed 3 other teams, which were Miami Sol, Seattle Storm, and Portland Fire. However, after 2 seasons, both Miami and Portland ceased their operations due to financial reasons, and it was Indiana and Seattle that managed to last up until now/
The team is owned by Herb Simon of the Simon Property Group and played their first home game against the Orlando Miracle at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on June 1 2000. The team would finish the season at just 9-23 in their first season.
Usha Gilmore, Donna Harrington, Monica Maxwell, Stephanie White, Texlin Quinney, Jurgita Streimikyte, Alicia Thompson, Chantel Tremitiere, Beverly Williams, Rita Williams and Kara Wolters were the first players of the team and was Head Coached by Nell Fortner and also had Anne Donovan as the interim Head Coach.
Playoff Appearances: Earlier than Expected but not as Successful as Anticipated
The team actually got their first playoff appearance during the 2002-2003 season, their record was 16-16, and they captured the last spot for the semifinals. Back then, only 4 teams per Conference were qualified to go to the playoffs and would immediately be at the semis.
The #4 Fever faced the #1 New York Liberty, wherein they lost, 2 games to 1, in a Best-of-Three semifinals.
They missed the postseason for the following years until they found success again in 2005. This was also their best season, having a record of 21-13, earning the #2 seed in the playoffs. They swept the Liberties, 2 games to none, and in their first-ever Eastern Conference Finals, they also got swept by the Connecticut Suns.
They’ll continue to appear in the postseason from 2006 to 2016.
“In 49 other states it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana”
The team first won their title in the 2012 season, where they defeated the Minnesota Lynx, 3 games to 1 in a Best-of-Five Finals with Tamika Catchings earning the Finals MVP.
In the first round, they beat the Atlanta Dream, followed by the Connecticut Suns in the ECF.
The phrase “In 49 other states it’s just basketball, but this is Indiana” became popular even before the team have captured the title but it did give them a sense of having the sport not just be considered a “sport” but rather an event that changed a lot of peoples’ lives as well as embarking their names in the women’s basketball history.
Confusing and Rebuilding from 2017 – 2023
Just like any other successful basketball team, the Indiana Fevers suffered a rebuild and dark years.
Catchings hit retirement, they shuffled Head Coaches, changed lineups to find young talents, and in the end, they missed the off-season in 2017.
The ‘Steph Curry Effect’ of Caitlin Clark
Indiana had the number 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and selected Caitlin Clark from the University of Iowa.
Clark then showed everyone why she is the #1 player in her draft class, as after playing 40 games, which she all started, she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 1.3 steals, whilst shooting 41.7% from the field and averaged 34.4% from beyond the arc.
Her performance was so phenomenal that she became the first-ever true rookie to lead the WNBA in assists. Aside from dishing dimes and knocking down three 3-pointers every single night, this prompted an increase in viewership across all electronic devices and made an incredible popularity impact for the entire league.
Games of Indiana became a “must-see TV” for everyone as media analysts have compared her game to the 4x NBA champion and arguably the best point guard ever, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
Resurgence Behind CC’s Heroics
Clark helped the team to get back in the playoffs in her rookie year, having a win-loss record of 20-20, earning them the #6 seed, and faced the #3 Connecticut Suns.
They lost in the First Round, 2 games to none but Caitlin still balled out averaging 18 PPG, 5 RPG, 8.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1 BPG but clearly struggled in her shooting averages as she shot 20% from the rainbow country only knocking down 2.5 out of 12.5 attempts per outing and had a Field Goal average of 35% only making 7 shots out of 20 attempts.
Title Favorites in Year 2?
As of writing this, the Indiana Fever’s record is 19-16 and is at #6 in the Eastern Conference standings.
Clark missed out on some games due to an injury, but in the 13 games she has played this season, she has averaged: 16.5 PPG, 5 RPG, 8.8 APG, 1.6 SPG, shooting 36.7 from the field and 27.9 from the 3-point area, making 2.2 out of 8 attempts.
With only 9 games left in their schedule, there is an assumption that this team is locked in for the playoffs. But the real question is, can Caitlin Clark lead the Indiana Fever to a title in Year 2?
