What the Indiana Fever would do to develop a contender around 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark was one of the main plot points going into the WNBA offseason. The Fever have a chance to build a competitive club with Clark on a rookie contract since she proved in her first season that she is one of the league’s best players.
The team has made every effort to complete this assignment thus far this summer, including bringing in free agent Natasha Howard and resigning Kelsey Mitchell.
NaLyssa Smith was sent to Dallas as part of a three-team transaction the franchise was involved in on Friday. Sophie Cunningham, a Mercury wing, was added to the Fever in exchange.
What is the current lineup of the Fever following these changes? After acquiring Natasha Howard and exchanging Sophie Cunningham for NaLyssa Smith, let’s examine Indiana’s anticipated starting lineup.
The anticipated starting lineup for the Indiana Fever
PG: Kelsey Mitchell; SG: Caitlin Clark
SF: Cunningham, Sophie
PF: Howard, Natalie
C: Boston, Aliyah
Bench: Damiris Dantas, Kristy Wallace, Katie Lou Samuelson, and Lexie Hull
In addition to having a greater floor on offensively and a far higher ceiling on defense, Howard will take Smith’s place at the four. The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year pits flawlessly as Clark’s running companion and adds much-needed variety to this Fever squad. Although her shooting has fluctuated, last season she had the ninth-highest field goal percentage in the league on shots from five to ten feet.
Cunningham will provide much-needed shooting for the Fever. Despite being third in the league in three-point shooting percentages the previous season, Clark and Mitchell combined for 15.7 attempts per game, which accounted for the majority of the team’s three-point shooting attempts. With 2.7 threes attempted per game, Katie Lou Samuelson finished third on the squad. Last season, Cunningham shot 37.8 percent and took 4.5 treys a game. With a creative passer like Clark to toss the ball to her, she will be an excellent off-ball catch-and-shoot weapon.
However, there are still unanswered questions in Indiana, particularly with the bench. The club needs another ball handler off the bench if Erica Wheeler, a free agent, doesn’t return. The Fever should have no issue filling that position since they have plenty of cap room with Boston and Clark on rookie contracts.
The team’s starting lineup has improved as a result of these alterations, regardless of what occurs with the bench. Although Smith is a fascinating talent, Cunningham offers more stability than having Samuelson start at the three, and Howard is a definite improvement at power forward.
Even though the Fever are still a few games away from being serious candidates for a title, this team has the potential to be a major force in 2025.
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