Moving to the WNBA is never easy, whether players are coming from college or from playing overseas.
They always have to adapt to a new system, new teammates, new coaches, and a new style of play. Some players who excelled in college, for example, come to the WNBA and realize that they have to improve or develop certain skills to survive at the professional level.
Thus, not every player develops at the same pace, and sometimes teams just do not have the time or patience to wait and end up watching a player they decided to move on from thriving on a different team. The Indiana Fever are no exception.
Since joining the league for the 2000 season, the Fever have had their fair share of players they let go of just a little too early.
5. Allie Quigley
Allie Quigley only played three games with the Indiana Fever in 2010 while she was struggling to find her place in the WNBA.
The Fever certainly were not the only team that gave up on Quigley too early. She also had short stints with the Phoenix Mercury, Seattle Storm, and San Antonio Silver Stars. It was not until 2013 that the guard found her home with the Chicago Sky and evolved into an All-Star.
Unlike several other teams, the Sky gave Quigley a chance. She was named an All-Star three times with the Sky, won the Sixth Woman of the Year award twice, contributed significantly to the Sky’s 2021 championship, and secured four WNBA Three-Point Shootout titles.
4. Natasha Howard
Natasha Howard started her WNBA career in Indiana, playing 64 total games for the Fever before being traded to the Minnesota Lynx as part of a sign-and-trade deal for Devereaux Peters in 2016.
Just two seasons after the Fever moved on from Howard, she was named the WNBA’s Most Improved Player. She has also won three WNBA championships, made two All-Star teams, was named the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, and was a member of two All-Defensive First teams as well as the 2019 All-WNBA First Team.
At 32, Howard still averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals for the Dallas Wings, and the Fever could really use someone with her defensive prowess and championship experience next to the young stars on the team. Howard has already expressed her desire to explore the free agency market, so there is a chance she could return to the Indiana Fever for the 2025 season.
3. Layshia Clarendon
Layshia Clarendon began their WNBA career in Indiana. After three seasons with the Fever, the team traded Clarendon to Atlanta for a second-round draft pick. Just two seasons later, the guard emerged as an All-Star even if they never returned to quite the same level afterward.
During stints with the Connecticut Sun, New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and Los Angeles Sparks, Clarendon averaged double-digit scoring three times and dished out an average of at least three assists per game four times, but was never named to another All-Star team. In 2024, Clarendon retired, leaving the WNBA behind after 11 seasons.
2. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
In 2019, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton played 34 games with the Fever, averaging 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. After just one season, the Fever cut her, and Laney-Hamilton broke out almost immediately after leaving Indiana. She averaged 17.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.6 steals with the Atlanta Dream and won the Most Improved Player award.
Since then, Laney-Hamilton has been an All-Star in 2021, was named to two All-Defensive Teams, and played a crucial role in the New York Liberty’s run to the 2024 WNBA championship. Especially her performance in Game 2 of the Finals was impressive, as she stepped up for her team and scored 20 points in a must-win game.
1. Alanna Smith
In her fourth WNBA season, Alanna Smith played just nine games with the Indiana Fever before being cut.
Much like Laney-Hamilton, she broke out right after leaving Indiana and was in the running for Most Improved Player for her performance with the Sky. After that, Smith improved even further in 2024, averaging career-highs in points, assists, steals, and blocks per game once she joined Sky teammate Courtney Williams on the Minnesota Lynx.
Smith was named to the All-Defensive Second Team and was a starter for the Lynx during their run to the WNBA Finals. On top of that, her ability to space the floor on offense while protecting the rim on defense would make her a perfect fit next to Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston on the Fever now.