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The Indiana Fever, in their quest to get back to their glory days of championship contention, made a splash in WNBA free agency this week, agreeing to terms with free agent forward Natasha Howard. With Howard's addition, just how close are the Fever to establishing themselves as an elite team in the league? Pretty close actually, according to former WNBA player and current ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo.
During a WNBA free agency special on ESPN, Lobo admitted that she felt like the Fever were one more piece away from becoming a contending team in the league.
“I think adding Natasha Howard puts them potentially in the top four now. If they could sign, say Nneka Ogwumike or Satou Sabally, even DeWanna Bonner, I would put them in the championship conversation,” Lobo said. “But they haven't done that. But they certainly have improved by signing Howard. . .to me, she's a huge, huge piece for them, but in terms of a championship, I think they're still one piece away.”
Well the Fever can forget about signing Nneka Ogwumike or Satou Sabally as the former re-signed with the Seattle Storm and the latter ended up with the Phoenix Mercury via sign-and-trade. It still is possible though for the Fever to somehow acquire DeWanna Bonner.
Fever outlook for 2025 WNBA season
Agreeing to terms with Howard wasn't the only WNBA free agency move the Fever made during the offseason. The Fever re-signed Kelsey Mitchell on a one-year contract after coring her, and they were a part of the three-team sign-and-trade involving Sabally heading to the Mercury. As part of that deal, the Fever will acquire Sophie Cunningham and the No. 19 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft from the Mercury.
Both the additions of Howard and Cunningham will help tremendously with the Fever's depth.
Howard appeared in 27 games for the Dallas Wings last season while averaging 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals and shooting 45.6 percent from the field. Cunningham appeared in 40 games for the Mercury while averaging 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals and shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from the three-point line.
With Mitchell back in the fold and Howard and Cunningham on their way, that leads to the Fever's star duo in Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. Not to mention new head coach Stephanie White who led the Connecticut Sun to the WNBA Semifinals last season and pushed the Minnesota Lynx to five games.
The Fever were once a perennial contender, under former head coach Lin Dunn who is currently the team's general manager, and during White's first stint with the franchise.
