Damiris Dantas has been on a tear for Botas Spor in Turkey.
The Fever forward matched up against Fenerbahce on Christmas Eve. Fenerbahce features Atlanta Dream center Tina Charles, a formidable matchup for the Brazilian product.
Dantas finished with 16 points and nine rebounds, a near double-double performance. She also hit a pair of three pointers and secured a steal in the loss. Botas fell 81-65.
a near double-double from Damiris Dantas with @botas_spor in Turkey.#FeverOverseas pic.twitter.com/z1T1BK2YLJ
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) December 28, 2024
The 32-year-old is averaging 17.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest through 10 games with Botas Spor. She previously played two seasons in the Turkish KBSL with Ormanspor, where she put up similar numbers.
The production is a good sign for Dantas, and for the Indiana Fever. During the 2024 WNBA Expansion Draft, the Fever shockingly left forward Temi Bagbenle unprotected and lost her to the Golden State Valkyries. This leaves the Fever in a tough spot.
Aliyah Boston is a lock at center, no doubt about that. If the Fever can smooth things over with NaLyssa Smith, she'll be back in the starting lineup at the four. On the bench, Fagbenle was the primary backup and played a good amount of minutes when healthy. Katie Lou Samuelson is listed as a forward, but she plays more like a slashing small forward rather than a big-body post presence.
As a result, the responsibility of primary front court backup falls on Dantas. She had a slow start to 2024, as she is coming off of an MCL injury. There was no indication on her physical health last season in regards to the recovery process.
The Fever now have some assurance after this season in Turkey.