Two-time WNBA champion Mercedes Russell already sounds convinced she has landed in the right place. Hours after the Indiana Fever signed the veteran center for the rest of the season, she addressed reporters for the first time, addressing her buy-in as she joins her fourth team.
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On August 10, the Fever announced that they had signed Russell as a season-ending injury exception following Damiris Dantas’ recent surgery. Now, in her introductory press conference, she spoke about her experience joining the team.
“It’s been amazing. Everybody has been so welcoming. Everybody saying they’re there for anything I need,” she told reporters in a video posted to X by Rosalina Lee. “It’s been really cool. It’s been seamless. I’ve obviously been on a whirlwind, just going, going, going. So it’s cool to just have something smooth and slow.”
She also spoke on Fever fans, adding, “The fans show up, they show out. You can definitely feel the energy. I know I’ve been the opponent, but now I’ll be on the good side, I guess, is what you call it… The support has been incredible. So yeah, going from an opponent to now being, I guess, firsthand, I’m excited and really cool just to meet the Fever fans that I haven’t obviously seen before.”
Russell is an important addition to the Fever, especially given her pedigree as a winning player. After being waived by the New York Liberty and being picked up by the Seattle Storm during her rookie season, she carved out a role as a steady interior presence on two championship teams in 2018 and 2020. She played there until 2025, when she played for the LA Sparks and now continues her WNBA journey with the Fever. Notably, she is now reunited with fellow 2020 champion and former head coach Gary Kloppenberg, who is a team advisor for the Fever.
Her arrival also puts her next to a core she has seen develop from outside, and she singled out Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell while speaking to the press.
“It’s so cool to see just the growth and their abilities,” Russell told reporters when asked about the three.
“I’ve personally known Kelsey for several years, and just the steady Betty that she has been for Indiana for several years is amazing… It’s cool to see their growth, not only, obviously, AB and CC, their first few years. So from year one to now, it’s incredible. And then Kelsey, I mean, she’s been amazing her whole career. So just to see them three together and growing within the Fever organization has been awesome.”
Mercedes Russell replaces Dantas, who recently underwent a season-ending knee surgery to repair her torn meniscus. Dantas was one of many frontcourt players for the Fever alongside Mikayla Timpson, Myisha Hines-Allen, and Monique Billings, supplementing Boston on the interior while opening up the floor for Mitchell and Clark. Last season, playing for the Sparks, Russell averaged 1.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in the 20 regular-season games she played.
Only time will tell how this move pans out for the Indiana Fever, but Mercedes Russell is already bought in.