Kicking off her second stint with the Indiana Fever, HC Stephanie White had one challenge: “How much can we throw at them right away?… We can’t go too fast, but we also have to push them to make sure that we’re in a position to do the things that we think we’re capable of.” Needless to say, while the coaching staff kept thinking, their players went out and proved what they are down for. Last season, the Fever was one of the quickest teams in the league, thanks to the pair of Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark. But the potential? As the reigning league ROTY put, “I crave wanting to be better.” And that’s when they brought in the former Connecticut Sun HC back home.

Stephanie is no stranger to building powerhouses. She turned tides for the Sun and last year, they were the top defensive teams that went on a deep playoff run. But with the opportunity and ties not just to Indiana but also Clark, White returned to the Fever, and no doubt, we have seen the impact. Indiana’s front office’s offseason moves brought in defensive players to a team that truly needed help on that side of the court including– DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham. And their practices during the 243 days between the last season and this season are certainly showing results as they did in their season opener.

Hosting their rivals Chicago Sky, the Fever made history in their 93-58 win at home with the largest season-opening difference. But that was not just it. In the game, four of their starters brought in double-digit scores over 15 points each, including Howard, Aliyah Boston, Mitchell, and Clark. In fact, the number of shots taken were also improved with five players taking over 10 shots. At the same time, Bonner climbed up the all-time scoring ladder to take the third spot. And what really stole the show was Fever’s will to stay active on the offense, set the pace of the game, and bring out a better defense than we have seen from them before. No wonder, White now has a warning for the rest of the league and its remaining 144 players.

In the postgame media interview, a reporter asked the HC, “Four players with at least 15 points. Five players between 10 and 13 shot. Just what did you think about the balance offensively?” Showing full confidence in her team, White responded:

“I thought it was very good. I think when we’re going to be at our best, you’re going to see like seven or eight in double figures nightly. Um, you know, I think we have a group that’s much like the Pacers. We’ve got a lot of great balance that’s going to make us tough to guard. It’s going to make us a tough matchup as we continue to grow in attacking matchups and in finding the right shot or letting the ball find the right shot. You know those shots will become easier. We’ve got players who are used to making tough shots. We wanna allow them to make the easy ones.”

Last season, double-digits from the starting lineup went as far as a couple of games, with the three-headed monster of Clark, Boston, and Mitchell leading the crew. This time, even though Aliyah Boston ensured the locker room talk revolves around not getting comfortable with one win because there are 43 more to go, White’s message is clear, the Fever is indeed rising, and they will agents of chaos for the rest of the league. And these are the players that the team can rely on apart from Clark, Boston, Mitchell, and Howard:

• DeWanna Bonner: Of course, while Bonner only added 7 points on the opening night, we can rely on her improving or maybe exceeding her last year’s average of 15 ppg with the Sun. On top of that, her defense in the paint is another aspect that the Fever fans can look forward to.
• Lexie Hull: Last season, the off-the-bench guard turned heads in the post-Olympics part of the season with her reliable shooting from the deep from the corner. In the opener too, she brushed off a double-double with 9 points off the bench with 9 rebounds. Her quick feet helped claim 2 steals as she continued to show her presence on the defensive end too.
• Sophie Cunningham: Although she sat out against the Sky, she was the loudest cheerleader for the team on the bench. In the preseason opener, we already saw her add 21 points and 8 rebounds that if knocked upon, can truly be a help to improve on Fever’s defense.

Last season, the Fever’s average total score was 85 points. That is when they only had 18 games with more than 85 points. So if they find their groove and Clark is at her best, Fever will not only wow everyone but will blow almost everyone out just like their NBA counterpart in the Indiana Pacers.

They have all five of their starters dropping double-figure points. Both of those teams are pretty similar, aggressive on the offense but with a defense that could withstand the best attacks too. That balance is the key. Last year, the Fever had one of the worst defensive efficiencies, but they are looking so much better now. And they are not even fully acclimated with each other which also showed in the game.

Caitlin Clark has grown her mid-range game, becoming a bigger problem for the defenders. But her passing, it is still as immaculate. Of course, it does mean the new additions will need some time to get accustomed to it. There were a few missed passes and turnovers in the first half of the matchup but it improved as the game went on. The first quarter was real first-game vibes for Fever.

They were inefficient from close range, most from under 5-feet from the basket as the caller Rebecca Lobo too pointed, missing some very easy shots. That too improved as they ended with 35 from 75 from the field. These are the little things that will only improve with time and they will become a whole different beast after these minor kinks are removed. But the first game was not only special for Caitlin Clark with Bonner too etching her name as one of the greats.

DeWanna Bonner Makes History, Caitlin Clark Shows Class

It was raining records at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse as Clark broke multiple records with her performance but the new entrant in the Fever roster, Bonner, broke a significant record too. The entire stadium stood for DeWanna Bonner as she comfortably put a free throw in the basket to tie Tina Thompson on the all-time WNBA charts at 7,488 points. She went past her with the next free throw. An emotional Bonner hugged everyone as she went back to the bench after that play, which made history. That’s 7,489 career points and counting. Only Tina Charles, who reached the second spot last year, and the GOAT Diana Taurasi are left in front of her.

Bonner’s not just a scorer—she’s a winner with two championships and more playoff games than anyone in WNBA history. Her move to Indiana from Connecticut, where she played under White, makes her a perfect fit to guide this young squad and add some defensive bite.

“I kind of got a little bit emotional,” Bonner said postgame referring her historical moment. “To be at this moment, in front of a sold out crowd, in front of all this attention, and to have that moment is just pretty special to me… I’m trying to be as humble as I can, but being around [this] long, I kind of feel like I deserve that moment. And for it to happen right then and there, and in this time period in my career, I’m just so grateful.”

There is no doubt that Bonner deserves every bit of applause she got. Being a prolific scorer throughout her career, she has carved her own path among the legends. It’s not her first time breaking records. Her 2,162 career points in college are the most anyone at Auburn has scored. Bonner’s career began with the Phoenix Mercury in 2009, took her to the Connecticut Sun in 2020, and now brings her to Indiana for a pivotal season with the Fever.

The moment she got to the historic mark was well choreographed by none other than Caitlin Clark herself. It was in the latter part of the fourth quarter when Bonner was one point shy of matching the record and two short of snatching Thomson’s chain outright. Clark was well aware of the situation. As the game had already been won with their sizeable lead, she called for Bonner to score the next points during a timeout.

“Hey, let’s get a basket for DB right now,” Clark said as she was mic’d up on the ABC and ESPN broadcast. “Come on, we’re getting DB into third place right now.”

And the players followed suit as Natasha Howard dished a pass to Bonner as she cut toward the hoop. Bonner didn’t connect on the bucket, but she was fouled and went to the line for the free throws to get it done. It was an emotional night full of jubilation for Bonner as she had a solid debut for the Fever, getting 7 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

She will be crucial as the season goes on providing her wisdom and experience. She will likely be off primary scoring duties, which will largely be taken by Clark, Boston and co., but she is certainly capable of turning up the heat if she wants to.