When the Indiana Fever brought in Sydney Colson, they weren’t just looking for a backup point guard. With the 13-year veteran, they also wanted a voice in the locker room and an experience that would help the team push forward. The signing, however, wasn’t taken well by everyone. And after Colson tore her left ACL in a non-contact fall against the Phoenix Mercury on August 7, 2025, the ghosts of her past troubles with the Fever came haunting back.

“I look at it as another thing where I have to trust that what I’m going through is still part of God’s plan for me… I knew coming into this season… people had a lot to say,” Colson told Candace Parker and Aliyah Boston on the Post Moves podcast. “There was a lot of negativity coming my way…

“Typically, I’m the person that people are just like, ‘Oh, we love Sid, that’s funny.’ Once I got here and was experiencing people’s disapproval, it didn’t really faze me because I understood, even more so, that this is definitely a part of my plan. When people get to not liking you for no reason, probably exactly where I need to be.”

Colson’s criticism entering the Fever started early when the team just began their training camp.

Back in April, during a practice, Colson passed the ball towards her teammate, but it landed in the opposing squad’s DeWanna Bonner’s hands. Naturally, she threw her hands up in visible frustration. But when the clip of the turnover went viral, fans were quick to judge.

Suddenly, the player once seen as the WNBA’s locker-room light for her attitude despite limited minutes was under the spotlight. But Colson never fought back. Instead, she turned that noise into fuel.

That mindset became her anchor when the injury hit.

Instead of checking out, she leaned in. “It made me an even more vocal leader,” she reflected. “It made me pay attention to things that maybe I wasn’t paying attention to before.”

Through her words, you see what most fans don’t: the unseen backbone of a team still trying to find its rhythm. But the unnecessary discrimination against the Fever players might not only be based on their performances. In fact, Lexie Hull’s controversial comments detail what just might be hiding in plain sight.

Caitlin Clark drew the spotlight, and jealousy followed as the Fever fought to stay united

After Tamika Catchings retired, not many considered the Indiana Fever a big competitor in front of the star-studded teams like the New York Liberty, the Las Vegas Aces, etc. However, everything changed with the arrival of Caitlin Clark in 2024. The Fever suddenly became a must-watch basketball team with sold-out crowds and headlines on every move. Despite Clark’s injury last season, Indiana advanced to the semifinals.

However, Fever’s unexpected rise to fame has not been well-received by everyone.

“I think there is a level of jealousy when it comes to the Fever, just because of the media attention and the fans that have shown up for us ever since Caitlin got here,” Fever guard Lexi Hull told Glamor. “If you have extra motivation to beat us because of something out of our control, that’s fine,” she added. “Everyone should feel like they’re getting everyone else’s best, and I do feel like we get everyone else’s best.”

The Fever truly endured much more than just jealousy this season; the worst was their string of injuries. Still, they ended up reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2016, only growing from where they left off. Perhaps that’s what true leaders like Sydney Colson and a team binder like Lexie Hull always provide to the winning teams.