2024 was a big year for the Indiana Fever. They landed another generational talent in the WNBA Draft, returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and now look ready to take the next step and become a contender once again.
The future is bright in Indiana, and the 2025 WNBA season will be an exciting one. It will be year two of Caitlin Clark, a new team will join the league, Paige Bueckers will most likely come to the W, and the hype around women’s basketball should only continue to increase. On top of that, Indiana Fever fans should expect a lot of winning.
The Fever already hired a new head coach who is expected to drastically improve the team’s defense and the organization will be aggressive to try and put the right players around Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell. There is one decision the Fever should hope does not come back to haunt them in the new year, though.
The Fever surprisingly left Temi Fagbenle unprotected in the expansion draft
When healthy, Temi Fagbenle was a key reserve for the Fever last season and developed great chemistry with Caitlin Clark. There are concerns with Fagbenle, like her health and lack of a 3-point shot, and the Fever could have looked for an upgrade in free agency, but there was no guarantee that they would find that upgrade.
The Fever’s frontcourt depth was already questionable with Fagbenle on the roster because NaLyssa Smith just is not a great fit around Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston since she does not space the floor and is also not a great defender. Nevertheless, the Fever decided to leave Fagbenle unprotected in the expansion draft, and she is now on the Golden State Valkyries’ roster.
Losing Fagbenle before free agency even started, leaves the Fever with a serious frontcourt problem. Now, they absolutely have to find an upgrade at the four and hope that Damiris Dantas is ready to step up or that they can find a significant contributor in free agency.
The Fever have been connected to Satou Sabally, one of the top free agents available this offseason. Landing Sabally would give the Fever the perfect starting four, but there is no guarantee that they will actually be able to add her to the mix. The Wings can still core Sabally, and the prospect of playing with Paige Bueckers might convince her to stay in Dallas after all. Ideally, the Fever would replace Smith with Sabally in a sign-and-trade but that still would not address the Fever’s lack of frontcourt depth.
Letting go of Fagbenle without a replacement in place, was a risky decision that could come back to haunt the Fever in 2025. It was certainly one of the biggest surprises of the expansion draft, leaving many Fever fans in shock. The fact that Fagbenle has been playing incredibly well overseas only sharpens the blow for Fever fans. In her most recent game with the Turkish club Besiktas, she put up a double-double with 28 points and 11 rebounds