The WNBA season is right around the corner, and the excitement of Indiana fans is at a fever pitch after the team took strides in the offseason to strengthen their core.
With Caitlin Clark and fellow former first overall pick Aliyah Boston leading the Fever to the playoffs in 2024, the franchise’s first postseason berth in eight years, the future is bright in Indiana. Sensing the opportunity, the team brought in high-profile veterans over the offseason to bolster a young team that finished 20-20 and lost in the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs but is eyeing more this year.
Caitlin Clark Praises New Teammates
Indiana signed veteran stars DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Brianna Turner, and Sydney Colson in the offseason, and also added Sophie Cunningham via trade with Phoenix. Clark, who was the league’s Rookie of the Year and also garnered MVP support in 2024, expressed gratitude for the big names signing in Indiana, which hasn’t made the WNBA Finals since 2015:
Caitlin Clark on the vets on the roster (like Sydney Colson, Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner):
“I want to win for them … seeing how selfless they are…choosing to come here …”
Mentions they didn’t have to come to the Fever, and that says a lot.
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) April 30, 2025
“I want to win for them,” Clark said, as reported by USA Today’s Meghan Hall. “Seeing how selfless they are… choosing to come here…” added Clark, noting that the veterans didn’t have to sign with Indiana, and that says a lot.
The Fever started the 2024 season 3-10 but finished on a 17-10 run as Clark developed and the roster coalesced. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star paired with Kelsey Mitchell to lead the team with 19.2 points per game, though only Aliyah Boston (14.0) and NaLyssa Smith (10.6), who was traded during the offseason, added double-digit scoring per game.
Clark also led the team in minutes per game (35.4) and was second in the entire WNBA in assist rate, so bringing in more high-caliber pieces was crucial for Indiana to take the next step.
Free Agent Signings Vital to Fever Progression
Free agent signings Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner are projected to start alongside Clark, Boston, and Mitchell, and both bring championship pedigree to the Fever. The newly acquired trio of Bonner (15 seasons in the WNBA), Howard (11), and Colson (10) immediately became the most experienced players on Indiana’s roster.
Howard, who started her career with the Fever, won titles with the Minnesota Lynx in 2017 and the Seattle Storm in 2018 and 2020. The No. 5 pick in the 2014 draft flourished in Seattle, being named the league’s Most Improved Player in 2018 and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019. Her defensive acumen will be especially useful for a Fever team that finished second-worst in the league in Defensive Rating in 2024.
The highly decorated Bonner may be an equally important addition for Indiana. A six-time All-Star and two-time champion (2009, 2014 with Phoenix), Bonner averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds in 2024, playing 31.8 minutes per game at the age of 36. She also brings 14 seasons of playoff experience to the Fever, with 87 career playoff games, more than all other Fever combined, not including Howard.
Turner joins Indiana after one year in Chicago, who acquired her from Phoenix as a piece in a trade that sent Kahleah Copper to the Mercury. Playing just 9.4 minutes per game in Chicago, Turner and the Fever will look for a return to Turner’s time in Phoenix, where she was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year candidate and All-Defensive first team selection. Turner originally entered the league as the No. 11 pick in 2019 out of Notre Dame.
Colson also adds championship experience (2022 and 2023 with the Las Vegas Aces, as well as an NCAA Tournament title) to Indiana.
A longtime reserve, starting just 10 of her career 241 games, Colson was drafted by the New York Liberty in 2011 and has played for San Antonio (now Las Vegas), Minnesota, Chicago, and the Aces before signing a one-year deal with the Fever. Colson figures to take on a familiar bench role with the Fever while being a popular player across the league (and WNBA Twitter).
The Fever will start the 2025 WNBA season against the Chicago Sky on May 17, with their first preseason game coming on May 3.