Natasha Howard has a stacked resume. She has already won three WNBA championships, two EuroLeague titles, two Turkish League championships, and one Turkish Cup. Now, she has added another Turkish Cup championship to the list.
This WNBA offseason, Howard suited up for CBK Mersin and averaged 18.8 points, 11 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in the Turkish league. The team also featured other WNBA-level players, most notably Bridget Carleton, Teaira McCowan, Kayla Thornton, and Marine Johannes.
What Indiana Fever fans should be really excited about is Howard’s response to her success in Turkey, however. The Indiana Fever posted a shoutout to Howard about her performance in securing the Turkish Cup title on X.
Howard responded, “More to come.”
The Fever look more and more like a legitimate contender
In the 2024 season, the Fever were a young team that was fun to watch but did not manage to make much noise in the playoffs. The more experienced Connecticut Sun made short work of a Fever team that had largely not played in the postseason yet and was led by a rookie and a second-year player. Nevertheless, the potential was obvious. All the Fever needed to content were the right players around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.
The front office found those players this offseason. The Fever re-signed Kelsey Mitchell, traded for Sophie Cunningham, and signed DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Brianna Turner, and Sydney Colson in free agency. Bonner and Howard are the biggest names on that list and will provide much-needed experience and defense.
If healthy, the Fever look ready to compete with the likes of New York, Minnesota, and Las Vegas. In a way, they have to. 41 of the Fever’s 44 regular season games will be aired on national TV. That is the most in league history—even noticeably more than the reigning champions—and puts a significant amount of pressure on the team to perform well.
Luckily, the Fever now have several players who are used to performing well on the biggest stages in basketball and should be able to deal with the spotlight. Howard, especially, should be in the right mindset for a competitive WNBA season after her successful campaign in Turkey and guide her younger teammates.
Howard’s ability to click with the Fever’s core and provide a strong two-way presence will be key to a successful season for Indiana and to making her prediction come true.