The Indiana Fever made some impressive moves during free agency this year. So far, the team has added DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Syd Colson, Brianna Turner, and Sophie Cunningham to the roster — and there are signs the team might not be finished yet.
There's a lot of chatter about how sacrifice will have to be part of the game for the team this season if they're as serious about a championship run as they seem to be. There are a lot of powerful players who are used to taking a lot of shots on the roster and the season could go one of two ways: vets who are used to shooting frequently will have to accept not taking as many shots... or most players on the floor are hitting 20-30 shots per game and the Fever are dominant.
And sure, there are plenty of scenarios between those two that are likely more realistic than either, but are they as fun?
The Indiana Fever is all about team culture
Though it's easy to look at potential holes in the Fever's new roster and see what the team might lack, it's important to remember that the Fever is first and foremost about building a solid team culture in and out of the locker room. Stephanie White once said she won't sign a player who doesn't return grocery carts to parking lot stalls — if that's a minimum requirement, you can bet that bringing in players who are willing to temper their personal goals slightly if it benefits the team enormously is important.
White spoke to this only two weeks ago during a conversation hosted at Purdue. She told the audience that ahead of free agency the team's core three — Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell — emphasized that they want to win more than anything and told her to "take care of our locker room."
DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard need to learn one trick this year
When it comes to scoring, there's one major way Bonner and Howard can get the numbers they want and also benefit the team — if they learn that everyone on the floor is hyper fixated on what Caitlin Clark is about to do at all times, they can make themselves available for wide open layups by using that time to run up to the basket. Clark is already an excellent passer (and improving assists is undoubtedly part of her year two plan), and will have little problem getting them the ball if they are there to receive it.