The Indiana Fever started the 2025 season off with a bang. Not only did they secure a statement victory over the Chicago Sky, but Caitlin Clark also started the season off with a triple-double, and DeWanna Bonner moved to third on the all-time scoring list. The game was a first taste of the success still to come for the Fever.
Chicago is far from the strongest opponent the Fever will face, however. Things will get more difficult when the Fever go up against the Minnesota Lynx, New York Liberty, or Las Vegas Aces. Caitlin Clark knows exactly what it will take for the Fever to win as many games as possible.
“For us, it starts on defense,” Clark said during practice media availability. “I think transition offense is where we’re going to thrive. I mean, if we don't have to play in the half court, why would we? You know, it starts with getting stops, and we certainly did that.”
The Fever are still looking to take steps forward defensively
The Fever finished the 2024 regular season with the second-worst defensive rating in the league. They were by far the worst defensive team that made the playoffs. That needed to change if the Fever wanted to build a true contender around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
So, the front office added DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham, Brianna Turner, and Sydney Colson during the offseason. Those additions brought championship experience and defensive toughness to the team.
Against the Sky, the Fever’s defense looked solid. Indiana held Chicago to only 58 points on 29.1 percent shooting from the field, forced 19 turnovers, scored 24 points off those turnovers, and dominated the defensive glass despite the Sky’s size.
Clark credited her new teammates with a lot of the success and was especially excited about DeWanna Bonner’s versatility.
“There’s so many things we can do switching-wise,” Clark said.
Bonner is tall, has long arms, and can guard several positions well. While Lexie Hull tried her best, the Fever didn’t have that kind of defensive versatility last season.
With more defensive-minded players, the Fever won’t have to solely rely on outscoring opponents to get wins. At the same time, however, an improved defense will automatically boost the Fever’s offense by creating plenty of fast break opportunities. Opponents will already have their hands full trying to stop Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Aliyah Boston in the half-court. It will be even tougher if they can get defensive stops and get out in transition.
Defense is what will put the Fever on the same level as other contenders
Going into the 2025 season, there seemed to be four clear-cut contenders: the New York Liberty, the Minnesota Lynx, the Las Vegas Aces, and the Indiana Fever. A few things set the Fever apart from the other three teams.
For one, the Fever is the only team in that group relying heavily on two young players. All the best players on the other contenders are seasoned veterans. Secondly, the Lynx, Liberty, and Aces all posted a top-five defensive rating last season.
The Fever narrowed the gap by adding experienced veterans in the offseason. To close it completely, they will have to prove themselves as a capable two-way team.