INDIANAPOLIS –– Turns out, the Indiana Fever are done with final cuts –– for now.
The Fever announced their 13-player roster Monday morning, one spot over the maximum limit for the WNBA. The catch was, veteran Damiris Dantas’ contract was temporarily suspended, so the forward is inactive. It’s what allows the Fever to have 13. But if or when the contract is unsuspended, the Fever will have to waive someone to get back down to 12. Dantas’ return time for her right knee injury is undetermined.
“We needed to do that,” Fever head coach Christie Sides said after Monday’s practice. “She’s gonna stay here on her own and get some rehab and recovery… we’ll figure it out when the time comes.”
Back on April 28, Dantas was the only Fever player not in attendance to begin training camp, via Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star. Dantas, who is Brazilian, did not have her visa to enter the United States yet, via Roberta Rodrigues of Beta Basket. Dantas is now in Indianapolis. The Fever signed her to a multi-year contract back in February.
Regardless, Indiana set in the front court already, with starters Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith healthy and ready to go for Tuesday night's opener at Connecticut. Smith led the Fever in preseason scoring with 41 points across both games. Center Temi Fagbenle will likely be the backup to the two, without Dantas available. Fagbenle last played in the WNBA in 2019 with the Minnesota Lynx and since, has played overseas in Great Britain, the country where she grew up.
Fagbenle performed well in Indiana's final preseason game and win over the Dream last week, scoring eight points with six rebounds in roughly 15 minutes. Initially only signed to a training camp contract back in January, Fagbenle's role with he Fever could expand moving forward, while potentially fighting for a long-term roster spot.
Fever preparing for Kelsey Mitchell return
Another Fever rehabbing from injury is guard Kelsey Mitchell (ankle), who didn’t play in both of Indiana’s preseason games. Mitchell, entering her seventh season, started all 40 games for the Fever last season. Over the past two days in practice, Mitchell has been up and down the court on both sides of the ball –– what she said she has been looking forward to.
The Fever begin the season in nearly 24 hours at the Connecticut Sun, but Sides doesn’t yet know if Mitchell will play. Mitchell initially injured her ankle training for the 3X3 National Camp.
“We’ve had some moments in practice where Kelsey is just an explosion,” Sides said. “I know yesterday she made a pass to Caitlin [Clark], and Caitlin just wasn’t even ready for it –– it happened so fast… I’m gonna wait and talk to our trainer as soon as I’m done here and we’re gonna see where (Mitchell) was today, and how she responded to yesterday, and then today.”
As of the latest news, Mitchell was listed as doubtful for the season-opener.
Indiana's season-opener will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
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