The Fever stacked up veterans this season, and we are here for it. Coming to Indiana, Sydney Colson was fired up. It showed when she said, “I’m excited to be a part of the vision that the staff has for this team, and I’m ready to get to work.” And it’s safe to say that she was ready. Being the oldest drafted player with the most experience on the squad, you’d naturally assume that she is the guiding force.
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Like even general manager Amber Cox said in a statement, “Sydney is a proven veteran in our league and throughout her career, delivered for her teams in many big moments.” Simply proving that right, she had #1 overall draft pick Aliyah Boston taking her name whenever an interviewer asked about “veteran leadership, especially heading into a championship.” It reflected the same energy that Boston displayed in comments when the Fever announced Sydney’s signing. She wrote “Things we love BOW BOW BOW.”
Aces
Apart from Sydney Colson, Another One of Fever’s Veterans…
…stepped up in a way that changed everything. Natasha Howard just showed up and showed out last night. Upon returning to the gym where her career started, she said, “It feels good to be back.” Irony is that Howard even won a championship with the Lynx. Yep, the same league-leading team she managed to absolutely crush today. She also has 2 more championship rings, both with the Storm. Naturally, “You would think she’d be like, I’m good,” Krauskopf said. “Nope. She wants to do it at the place she got drafted.”
That mindset was also evident in her performance last night. Natasha Howard dominated with a game-high 16 points and 12 rebounds. She stepped up without Caitlin Clark, the Fever’s usual offensive leader. But it wasn’t just her. Coach Stephanie White and Howard had a clear game plan. They simply shut down Napheesa Collier, one of the league’s most unstoppable scorers.
Postgame, an interviewer asked, “Coach, not many teams have slowed Napheesa Collier like you did. 5 turnovers, under 50% shooting. What was the strategy?” The stats backed it up, the Fever held her far below her usual 24.4 PPG and 8.5 RPG. Coach White didn’t hold back explaining their approach. “First and foremost, Tasha was a defensive player near in our league. She’s got length, athleticism, and fast-twitch reflexes, so she could recover, contest, and contain.”
That’s the kind of trust you only put in a veteran, and Natasha Howard unfailingly delivered. “She (Natasha Howard) stayed incredibly disciplined and made Phee take tough shots. I felt like our off-ball defense, with the exception of the first quarter, was really good. We showed multiple bodies.” The disruption didn’t stop with Howard though. “We didn’t commit one way or another because she’s a really good facilitator, we recovered back to shooters. So we were able to keep them off balance by being disruptive.”
The result? Sophie Cunningham added 13 off the bench, while Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aari McDonald each scored 12. “And so it really was, Tash, outstanding one-on-one defense and then a collective team effort, and to finish plays, and to defensive rebound,” White concluded. Now, Collier’s Commissioner’s Cup repeat and All-Star hopes look much harder.
