3× WNBA Champion Complicates Matters for Stephanie White as National Analyst Gives Indiana Community a Reason to Be Nervous

The WNBA preseason has kicked off in style, and the Indiana Fever is already grabbing headlines thanks to their big-name additions—Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner, and, of course, the star of the preseason so far, Sophie Cunningham. With two games down—including Clark’s emotional homecoming against the Brazilian National Team—the Fever are 2-0 and looking sharp. The vibes are good, the energy’s high, and the community seems to get what it deserves. But even with all the early promise, one particular debut might raise a few eyebrows among fans. At least that’s what analysts think, and coach Stephanie White needs to be careful about!

The Fever pulled off a comeback win against the Washington Mystics in their preseason opener at home, and it turned out to be a debut to remember for “Spicy Sophie.” Acquired in a four-team trade back in February, Sophie Cunningham wasted no time making her mark. With Caitlin Clark sidelined due to a minor leg issue, Cunningham stepped up in a big way. She came off the bench with fire, energized the crowd, and logged a team-high 35 minutes in Indiana’s 79-74 overtime victory, a game that looked slipping out of their hands. She dropped a game-high 21 points, grabbed eight boards, dished out two assists, and finished with a +16 on the floor. But it wasn’t a debut to remember as such for Natasha Howard.

Rachel Annamarie DeMita shared her thoughts on Natasha Howard’s preseason performance during her podcast,

It’s safe to say that the 3-time WNBA champion and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year didn’t have the smoothest debut in a Fever jersey against the Mystics. Natasha Howard shot just 4-of-11 from the field while pulling down 8 rebounds—certainly not the kind of performance you’d expect from a 2-time All-Star. But it’s still early days, and she’s adjusting under head coach Stephanie White.

Not to forget, with Howard’s pedigree, there’s no doubt she’ll bounce back. And she already showed signs of doing just that in the game against Brazil, where she went 4-for-5 from the floor and grabbed 5 rebounds in just 18 minutes. A clear sign that better things are on the horizon!

Of course, having a player like Caitlin Clark on the court makes everything easier—and that was definitely the case in the game against Brazil! Howard looked more comfortable and efficient with Clark running the offense. In a recent interview, the veteran forward didn’t hold back her praise, even comparing Clark to two all-time greats. Let’s take a look at what she had to say about the Indiana superstar.

Natasha Howard sees shades of WNBA greats in Caitlin Clark

The Indiana Fever front office made it a point to add veteran leadership and championship pedigree this offseason to help coach Stephanie White. Bringing in players like Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner, and Sydney Colson showed that intent loud and clear. But according to Howard herself, the Fever didn’t need to look far for leadership—they already had someone stepping into that role.

When asked how Caitlin Clark compares to WNBA legends, Howard responded with high praise:
“I see it already in practice. Like, she’s talking, talking to us in the huddles and stuff. I feel like it’s natural for her, cause she did it at Iowa, for the four years that she was at Iowa,” she said. “So I feel like she’s gonna be in that category with the Sue Birds and Diana Taurasis, and stuff like that,” Howard added.

It’ll be interesting to see how the duo of Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner gel with the rest of this Fever squad. On paper, Indiana looks like a championship contender—no question about it. But whether all that talent translates into results on the court is something we’ll have to wait and watch. Stay tuned for more updates!