Kelsey Plum and Jewel Loyd may have headlined the offseason trades this year, but you know who the real winner was. “I do think this team needs a little bit more experience, probably some more size,” Kelly Krauskopf had said ahead of the free agency. Months in, they were looking at every box ticked, ‘championship contender’ talks hanging over, and Caitlin Clark giving a massive nod. That was even before the draft. So now that all the pieces are in one place, is the puzzle coming together? Aaliyah Boston has one line to share that sums it up.

Heading into the off-season, Stephanie White & Co. was clear on what they needed. They had the offense, the foundation. But someone with playoff experience? The concern stared back at them. So with DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard, they checked it off. Fever finished 9th in defense last season. The lapses were glaring. So with their 2025 draft class, Amber Cox ensured to fill the gap. Add spacing with Sophie Cunningham and depth with Sydney Colson, and Indiana was looking at a complete team.

“They know what it takes to win, they know what it takes to get to the Finals, they know what it takes to win championships,” Clark would say. But the accolades, the wins, or the experience aren’t all that matter, are they? It is also about gelling together, building the chemistry, the trust, and sneaking in a little excitement.

So while we knew the Indiana Fever was headed towards being a championship contender team this offseason, what really locked it in was Boston admitting the players enjoyed the atmosphere enough and trusted enough to look ahead.

“Being able to put this together, I think it’s going to be super exciting. Like every time we get on the court, and we are practicing or we are playing pick up, we are like ‘I can’t wait to get this season started,'” the 2023 ROTY revealed the sentiment in a recent interview.

We know the talent she is talking about. It all started with parting ways with Christie Sides and bringing in Stephanie White, the former Connecticut Sun coach, to take over the position. And then they added six new players via free agency or trade, clearly signaling that they’re aiming to win now.

First, they re-signed Kelsey Mitchell, who has been a franchise cornerstone since she arrived in Indianapolis. No doubt, it was a much-needed move. Both Mitchell and Clark bonded well last year, forming a dynamic backcourt duo for the Indiana Fever during the 2024 WNBA season.

“If you look at the teams that are in the playoffs right now (New York, Minnesota, Connecticut), they’re they’re loaded with with players who have been there,” Krauskopf had expressed. So there they had Bonner, the six-time All-Star and two-time league champ. With her came Howard, a two-time All-Star and three-time league champ. They are hungry for some wins. Bonner, a little more so.

Cunningham and Colson are going to be supporting the bench, while Makayla Timpson is going to be helping out on the other end of the floor. Bree Hall, whom Dawn Staley calls her top-5 defender, is expected to be there too, alongside Yvonne Ejim, the No. 33 pick.

So, when Boston added, “I think they’ve all just been super exciting moves for us. And I’m excited to get the season started because I think we have so much talent… We are just going to play so well,” she wasn’t exaggerating.

The Fever have the depth, experience, and explosive offense in the young talent. Just hear it from Rebecca Lobo. “Indiana, in free agency, got all the pieces that they needed,” she said. “They got some veteran leadership, they got some depth. They got the things that they were missing. They got the things that they needed in order to be a championship contender…. This is an Indiana Fever team that I think can be a championship contender.”

Well, she’s right too. But we’re not done yet.

Expect some camaraderie in Indiana Fever this season; Aaliyah Boston is already in tears

When Indiana Fever added their draft picks, there was one name that was on the receiving end of either a few questions or the cause of joy — Bree Hall. The South Carolina star was a projected third round pick entering the draft. But where fans believed Indiana would pick Lucy Olsen, it was Hall who made the cut. The Fever needed her for her prowess on both ends of the floor. But it meant quite a bit more for Aaliyah Boston.

Hall and the Fever star have been the best of friends since their time under Staley. They won a championship together, been each other’s ‘just a call away’, and have positively impacted their games. So when the news was made official, Boston didn’t hold back. “BIG BREEZY REUNION im literally crying rn,” she tweeted.

On the other end, we have the Clark-Lexie Hull combo, known for their shenanigans and the popular ‘backcourt duo’ of Mitchell and Clark. For a new addition, Cunningham is driving home all the fun. “I will be her Sabrina Carpenter any day, to her Taylor Swift,” she says of the 2024 ROTY. She has also ensured to be there for whatever Caitlin needs her for. Bonner, too is excited to share that court.

A lot of things are looking up for the Indiana Fever. They are already touted to be among top 4 teams. With that chemistry, trust, and talent, it is not hard to see why.