The Indiana Fever had the best-scoring duo in WNBA history. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell put up numbers no pair had ever matched. Then the playoffs started, and the defense that had been a problem all year sent them home in the first round. Now the Fever need stops, and WNBA columnist Candace Buckner has an idea where to find them.

“Can you get a defender out of this crew?” Buckner said, speaking on Thursday’s episode of the No Off Season podcast. “Can you pull one of the Valkyries, just one of them, Kayla Thornton? And can you get Kayla Thornton or Kayla Thornton lite to just play defense?”

The Fever ranked eighth in the league this year with an around 109 defensive rating. In comparison, they were 1st in offensive rating with an around 117 rating for the season.

“They don’t have to put up huge offensive numbers. This team can, under Stephanie White and with Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. And who knows, Kelsey may surprise us and come back. But I think the real need is a wing who can add a little bit more than Lexie Hull and just defense all around,” she added.

Buckner’s suggestion is indeed quite compelling. The Golden State Valkyries had the best defense in the league this season, posting a staggering 99.3 defensive rating during the regular season. They held opponents to a league-best 75.1 points per game, keeping teams below 70 points a league-high 14 times. In fact, relative to the rest of the league, their defense operated at nearly 10 points better than the WNBA average. They are now one win away from the WNBA Finals.

The Indiana Fever, in contrast, finished eighth overall in defensive rating. In fact, they were the only playoff team in the entire WNBA to allow more than 90 points per game during the regular season.

While their high-powered offense, led by Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, reached the 100-point mark in nearly half of their regular-season games, their defense was so porous that they gave up 100 or more points in roughly a quarter of their games. They even set a WNBA record for the most losses in a single season when scoring 100 or more points.

The reality is that the Fever’s explosive offense can only do so much when paired with such a vulnerable defense. They will undoubtedly be looking to address that weakness this offseason. Of course, Buckner’s suggestion of bringing in Kayla Thornton would not be a bad move for a team looking to become more competitive on the defensive end.

For the Valkyries this season, Thornton recorded a defensive rating of 101.4. She also ranked fourth in the league in defensive win shares, with 2.3. Additionally, she averaged 3.2 defensive rebounds, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, alongside her average of 7.7 points per game this season. 

To make a legitimate deep postseason run next year, it is clear that the Fever will need to aggressively target lockdown perimeter defenders and true rim protection. And alongside Buckner’s recommendation, rumors and fan wish lists have already linked top-tier defensive stars to the squad. 

However, actual acquisitions will depend heavily on how much salary-cap space is consumed by Mitchell’s impending contract demands, if she eventually chooses to stay, and whether Clark maximizes or adjusts her own eligible contract extension structure to help the franchise build a stronger roster.