When Stephanie White was appointed as the Indiana Fever’s new head coach in November 2024, she had a clear aim in mind. To win another WNBA title to the “greatest basketball fans in the world.” Fever, led by rookie Caitlin Clark in their ranks, were able to reach the postseason for the first time since 2016, and the franchise sought to build on this by hiring White, who was on their coaching staff from 2011 to 2016 and served as HC for two years during that span. So, White was naturally optimistic when she took over the role and was full of praise for Clark and her teammates.

“This young, exciting roster, you think about a generational player in Caitlin Clark and back-to-back rookie of the years with Aliyah Boston. Kelsey Mitchell, I think, had the best year of her career. It’s just an exciting roster.” With DeWanna Bonner’s veteran firepower joining a backcourt led by Clark and anchored by Boston, Indiana projects as a top‑3 title contender. Yet after consecutive preseason wins, Coach White was critical of her squad’s spacing and rotations. Why?

Defensively, they remain very much a work in progress. “Yeah, I think some of our rotations defensively, we had some missed rotations. We had some poor closeouts and certainly securing defensive rebounds… we did not do a good job,” she said after the Fever’s 79-74 win over the Mystics. While Fever’s ability to run a fast-paced, high-scoring offense was their strength last season, White also expressed concerns over how they operated in their two preseason contests.

“Offensively, just continuing to work our spacing and our pacing… sometimes we were on top of one another,” she said. Hinting at Boston’s struggle against Mystics’ offences, national analyst, Seerat Sohi gave an insight on how White may have a challenge to get the best out of the Fever forward.

 “I think there are definitely going to be moments like in the Mystics game, there’s obviously potentially teams like Minnesota Lynx that are very fast and maybe Aliyah Boston does struggle against,” she said on The Ringer WNBA show. The Mystics pushed the Fever to 102 possessions (fourth‑fastest pace in the WNBA), and Indiana managed just 42 percent shooting overall while coughing up 16 turnovers.

Despite White’s displeasure, Aliyah Boston stepped up in Clark’s absence, yet even she hit a rough patch. With 8 rebounds and 3 assists, Boston tried fulfilling her part during Clark’s absence. However, she struggled against the opponent’s swift offences and failed to translate opportunities on the court.

Boston again had problems in Game 2 against Brazil. Despite scoring 11 points in 20 minutes, she went 4-of-9 shooting from the field (44.4%) and had no 3-pointers to her name. The Fever crushed Brazil 108-44, but even that rout featured only 37 percent ball‑movement assists (19 assists on 48 made field goals) and stretches where the post players huddled around the paint, clogging passing lanes and spacing.

Though the wins are perfect on paper, the head coach is quick to point out several on-court issues, the major one being the offensive tackle. Although Boston dominated the paint and contributed assists, HC Stephanie White remained unimpressed during the game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Referring to the crowded offense, as Natasha Howard, Bonner, Kelsey Mitchell, and Clark served the basket, White evidently called out the need to work on the spacing issues. 

Well, maybe White could consider placing Boston where she fits best, and we know that Boston wouldn’t mind. After all, she was quoted as saying, “We also know that if things aren’t going our way, we have a coach at the helm who knows how to adjust.” 

Stephanie White, new Indiana Fever head coach, speaks Monday, Nov. 4, 2024, during a press conference held on Salesforce Court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Seerat Sohi’s statement, coupled with Boston’s, is a clear message for Stephanie White, who can consider shaking up the lineup for a better outcome. She can place Howard at 5 and Bonner at 4, or even keep the latter 4th with enough people behind Clark, to ensure better outcomes in the regular season matches. White’s biggest gripe centered on defensive rotations and spacing. When asked about what her team can still polish up on, she said, “Our spacing, our timing, rushing through some of the points of execution, screening, passing the ball ahead…I felt like we got a little stagnant,” after the Mystics game.

Their defense is another area, the team has to improve if they are to be serious contenders next season.

The top teams in the WNBA, like the New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx, and Las Vegas Aces, excel on both ends of the court. They combine high-powered offenses with strong, disciplined defenses. If the Indiana Fever wants to compete at that level, they’ll need to develop into a true two-way team as well.

Although the front office made some solid moves to improve the team’s defense, the current roster still lacks the personnel to truly execute on that end of the floor. So what Fever simply needs to do is outscore their opponents, and as such, their offense has to be on point.

Will the Fever build around Caitlin Clark?

Though the Indiana Fever managed a close 79–74 win against the Washington Mystics, was their performance impressive enough? If HC White is to be believed, the Fever still needs to work on several factors before the regular season commences. Meanwhile, star player Caitlin Clark sat out the match. Well, she took a break from the match to focus on her impending leg injury. But is her absence the primary reason for a close call with the Mystics?

The “Caitlin Clark effect” is impossible to ignore. In Sunday’s 108–44 blowout of Brazil at Carver‑Hawkeye Arena, Clark returned to Iowa and notched 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists in just 19 minutes. The basketball exhibition drew 14,998 spectators right in the heart of the Carver-Hawkeye Arena, back in her university home.

Even veteran interior anchor Aliyah Boston admitted that Clark’s presence changes everything. Yet Boston’s matchup struggles against the Mystics’ quick frontcourt foreshadow potential lineup adjustments. Teams like the Lynx could exploit Boston’s lateral foot speed, suggesting White may need to stagger minutes or mix in Natasha Howard at the five to maintain floor balance.

With DeWanna Bonner and reserves such as Lexie Hull stepping up in spurts, White faces a puzzle: ride or bench the veteran bulk, or run a smaller, Clark‑centric unit? As preseason winds down, the Fever’s floor spacing, turnover rate, and defensive rebounding percentage will dictate whether Clark remains a last resort hero or the engine around which the offense truly revolves.

Besides that, her popularity at her home ground grabbed several eyeballs. The views even surpassed ESPN’s 2024 WNBA season average by a whopping 13%. With all eyes on Clark, it will be exciting to see how her performance against the Fever’s final preseason game against the Atlanta Dream can impact the team’s overall ranking.