I mean, you had to have seen this one coming. We've been hinting at it all countdown.
The Indiana Fever have had a rough decade. From the franchise's founding in 2000 through the 2016 season, the Fever had missed the playoffs just three times. From 2017 to 2023, Indiana failed to clinch a playoff berth.
Eight years without a playoff appearance. Attendance was toward the bottom of the league. A total of 58 wins in the past seven seasons, averaging just eight wins a season. It was a dark time for the franchise.
But in professional sports, struggles lead to rebuilds.
After winning just nine games in 2017, Indiana drafted Kelsey Mitchell with the second overall pick. After winning just six in 2021, the Fever drafted NaLyssa Smith out of Baylor. Then Aliyah Boston first overall in 2023.
All three draft picks now appear in the starting lineup.
Lexie Hull and Grace Berger were also drafted by the Fever, and the two play crucial roles in the rotation. What Indiana lacked on the court, they sure made up for it on draft night.
The 2024 WNBA Draft was no different, as we all know. The Fever won the Caitlin Clark sweepstakes, giving Indiana the offensive juggernaut they needed. Clark, Mitchell, Smith, Hull, and Boston led the way for the franchise's best season in nine years.
The Fever forced the ball down defenses' throats. The didn't just control the pace-- they dominated it. It wasn't always pretty basketball, but it was gritty and relentless. The Fever refused to play anyone else's brand of basketball-- and as a result, Indiana found themselves as the 6-seed in the WNBA Playoffs.
While the Fever were eliminated in the first round by the Connecticut Sun, it was apparent that Indiana was on the verge of taking over the league. They have an extremely young core, led by the most highly-anticipated recruit that the league has ever seen. They have a solid bench. They play with intensity. They are everything you want in a basketball team.
So while 2024 wasn't Indiana's year, it was the moment the team announced to the rest of the league that their time is now. If the Fever can make a splash this offseason, both in the draft and in free agency, this organization will return to the top of the mountain.
Happy New Year, Fever fans.