Eleven years ago, Natasha Howard kicked off her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever. Now, she is back for her second stint with the team. Both Howard and the Fever are in a much different place than they were in 2014. Howard is a three-time WNBA champion and two-time All-Star, and the Fever are trying to build a championship contender around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston—two of the best young talents in the game.
Howard will be a big part of the Fever’s championship pursuit, providing much-needed veteran leadership and defense. Especially the latter will be key to the Fever’s success. They were one of the worst defensive teams in the 2024 season, and that is not the way to win at the highest level.
Natasha Howard could enter the Defensive Player of the Year race
Howard should be able to help with the Fever’s defensive issues and maybe even take home a big-time award in the process. Just six years ago, Howard was the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. In 2018 and 2019, she was named to the All-Defensive First Team.
After a few down seasons defensively, that talent could be on full display again with the Fever. Howard already said during training camp that she wants to get back in Defensive Player of the Year shape.
While A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier will undoubtedly make strong cases for the award, Howard could enter the conversation as the underdog. If she can return to her old form defensively, improve the Fever’s play on that end of the floor, and help lead her team to a top-four seed, her goal could become reality.
Defense will be the key to the Fever’s success at the highest level
Scoring was not a problem for the Fever last season and it definitely won’t be this season either. Between Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Aliyah Boston, the Fever have plenty of offensive firepower.
What they need to hang with the other top teams in the league is improved defense. The New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and Las Vegas Aces are all great two-way teams, and the Fever will have to figure out how to stop them.
Hiring Stephanie White, who orchestrated the league’s best defense last season, as the team’s new head coach and adding DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham to the roster was the first step. Now, the Fever need to put everything together on the court. If Howard can defend like she did in 2019, it will be a real game-changer for the Fever.