“Earn a basketball scholarship, play in the WNBA”-that was Caitlin Clark’s dream as a kid. Safe to say, she’s checked those boxes. But now, she carries a bigger responsibility–fulfilling the dreams of the people of Indiana and bringing a WNBA championship back to the state. The Fever front office has been aggressive this offseason, making key moves to build a contender. Perhaps Indiana’s beacon of hope had a role in shaping those decisions too?

Analyst Rachel DeMita certainly hints at it on her YouTube channel. But what’s her source? Kelly Krauskopf, the president of basketball and business operations for the Indiana Fever, herself. While she didn’t drop specific names, she revealed plenty about who was part of the think tank.

In her interview with Sportico, Krauskopf said, “I think it’s smart business to inform some of your key players of some of the targets that we’re looking at. It’s not necessarily asking for their sign off. It’s more of a, ‘Let’s talk about this together.’We had great synergy with how we communicated and how we were able to have these conversations. And then we had eager players in our locker room now that wanted to be a part of recruiting, if you will, and talking to players to help bring them to Indianapolis.”

This all but confirms that certain players were pulling the strings, working alongside the front office to identify targets. And Rachel had a pretty good idea of exactly who they were. On her channel Rachel says, “It seems like to me, I’m totally speculating here but if you are reading between the lines, it seems like Caitlin Clark obviously had a big voice in which players they were bringing in, Aaliyah Boston had a big voice in what players they were bringing in and Kelsey Mitchell also had that voice.”

Clark, Mitchell, and Boston firmly established themselves as the big 3 for the Indiana Fever last season. Their contributions helped the team reach its first playoffs since 2016. Kelsey and Clark formed one of the most dangerous backcourts, combining for 39 points a game. Aaliyah Boston’s presence in the paint was just as crucial, grabbing 9 boards per game. It was clear that the team would be built around these three, and it’s no surprise they were involved in identifying the key players the Fever needed to become contenders!

But who did they add? Let’s take a look at the new additions the Fever made this season as they look to win their first championship since 2012!

Caitlin Clark and co go big in the off season

The Fever front office recognized the need to strengthen their defense on the wings and in the post, and they addressed that by acquiring DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard. Bonner, a two-time champion, comes with the hunger to add one more. Natasha Howard, with three rings and a DPOY to her name, brings invaluable Finals experience. These two veterans will certainly help the young players like Clark, Boston and Hull grow even more.

Those two weren’t the only signings, though. The Fever also added Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham to strengthen their guard depth. New head coach Stephanie White was certainly delighted to get the signings over the line saying, “We got to surround our big 3 with great veteran players that complement them, and I think we have done that. We were fortunate to do both (free agency and adding depth). It puts us in a position to compete.”

With the head coach confident that the team is built to compete for the title this season, the question remains–Can “America’s team” go on to win the WNBA this year? On paper, they certainly look capable! But we’ll only know for sure when the time comes. Stay tuned for more updates.