Tuesday night was a classic Caitlin Clark-Brittney Griner showdown. While the Indiana Fever had already defeated the Atlanta Dream during the final preseason, the Dream was prepared this time. They stepped onto the Gainbridge Fieldhouse arena with a replenished vigour and a hunger in their eyes. The team earned points after point in their bucket, thanks to Rhyne Howard’s clutch-free throws and Griner’s dominance in the paint. And while Fever struggled to capitalise on the shots, Griner & Co., with their swiftness, physicality, and shooting prowess, snatched the 91-90 victory from the opponents in a close quarter, much to Fever HC Stephanie White’s dismay. 

In a post-game interview, White recalled the troubles faced by the Fever team. She even highlighted how the starters came across as individual players instead of teaming up as a collective against the opponents.

Caitlin Clark, despite a historic 27 points and 11 assists, couldn’t fully connect with teammates like Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, leading to 14 turnovers that Atlanta exploited.

Needless to say, any team that is smart enough to notice will take advantage of these visible issues. And that’s exactly what the Atlanta Dream did.

Addressing the impending issues that have been apparent in the roster since preseason matchups this season, Fever head coach Stephanie White spoke on behalf of the remaining 12 head coaches and revealed her frustration. She spoke regarding the pacing issues and highlighted the difficulties and frustrations faced by every coach when asked to utilise out-of-bound plays.

“It’s tough, you know. It’s every coach’s frustration when you have to use challenges on out-of-bounds plays. I mean, it is what it is. But for teams to win three challenges in the first half, I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that either,” White said. While she spilt truth bombs against the Fever roster, the HC was quick to appreciate her team’s efforts and highlighted the team’s winning streak in the first half.  

Despite the challenge being a tough call for the Indiana Fever, White pointed out other problem areas in the roster. Describing the defensive startup by the Fever, White expressed how the team had an unimpressive start by losing possession of the ball on several occasions, which led to the doomed defeat. And this embarrassing performance can be used against the team for years to come. Now, that is embarrassing indeed!

“It started with our energy and on the defensive end of the floor. We were flat to start,” White began. “We dug ourselves a hole. We didn’t take care of the ball. We didn’t handle their physicality, I mean that’s going to be the M.O. against us all year long.” Talking about the perils of losing, White assessed how other teams found the perfect scenario to snub in the team’s face for the entire season.

With players including DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham, Natasha Howard, and Kelsey Mitchell on the roster, the team failed to handle the physicality of the opponents during the match, and White fears that other teams might use physical strengths against the Fever as an agenda throughout the year.

The Fever’s defensive struggles in the first quarter were evident as Atlanta’s frontcourt, led by Brionna Jones’ 19 points and 13 rebounds, capitalized on scoring opportunities, contributing to the Dream’s early lead.

But with new player like Bonner creating a career high and the team encompassing a powerful Clark and HC White combination, Indiana Fever is up for some of the most spectacular performances this season.

Indiana Fever locker room rejoices as DeWanna Bonner creates history

“She deserves it,” Stephanie White was all praise for DeWanna Bonner’s classic feat after the Fever-Sky clash on Saturday. Bonner’s milestone came when she surpassed Tina Thompson to become the WNBA’s third all-time leading scorer with 7,489 points during a 93-58 rout of the Chicago Sky.

Highly appreciative of Bonner’s growth, HC Stephanie White has always supported the former Connecticut Sun. And while the 15-season veteran left Tamika Catchings behind last season, she was just one point away from making to the All-Time Scorer’s list. 

With HC White by her side and a gentle nudge from teammates like Caitlin Clark during the time-out, Bonner was hyped on the hardwood, ready to take the plunge. During the fourth quarter against the Chicago Sky, Clark insisted that her teammates let Bonner have the spotlight. “Hey, let’s get a basket for DB right now,” Clark said, to make Bonner’s first season with the Fever a rather memorable one.

So, Natasha Howard made a clean pass to Bonner during the crucial hours of the fourth quarter. But instead of a basket, she was fouled and sent to the free throw line. The entire court echoed in loud applause as Bonner capitalised on the first throw and made history.

Bonner also climbed to eighth on the WNBA’s all-time rebounding list in the Dream game on May 20, surpassing Thompson’s 3,070 rebounds, adding another layer to her historic 2025 season.

This feat was indeed a celebratory one for the entire roster. In fact, former teammate and partner Alyssa Thomas congratulated Bonner on the exceptional accolade. Thomas took to X and wrote, “Super proud of her. I have been along the ride, you know, she moved up these ranks. I know how much it means to her. I mean, it’s unheard of to be Top 3. That soaks so much to what she does and what she’s about.”

With a cumulative score of 1-1 so far, it will be interesting to see how the new players shape the Indiana Fever’s roster under Stephanie White as existing players like Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston regulate the team’s gameplay amidst the ongoing season. As the Fever prepare for a rematch against the Dream on May 22, 2025, following a narrow 91–90 loss, and a challenging matchup with the New York Liberty on May 24, head coach Stephanie White is intensifying defensive drills to enhance physicality and foster team chemistry. Will they work on the pacing issues, as pointed by the HC and clinch the 2025 WNBA title? Only time will tell.