The Indiana Fever’s Youth Shows, but They’re So Fun to Watch
After ending the 2020–21 season with a league-low record of 6–26, the Indiana Fever were rewarded with the second overall pick in a very talented draft class. Through trades with the Dallas Wings and the Minnesota Lynx, the Fever also received the fourth, sixth, tenth, and twentieth overall picks, giving them 4 picks in the first round, the most in WNBA history. When all is said and done, I think that this draft will go down as one of the greatest for Fever general manager Lin Dunn, drafting 5 rookies who have proven to be able to impact the game instantly. With their prized second overall pick, they selected Baylor alum NaLyssa Smith, a 6’2'’ forward. The fourth overall pick was forward Emily Engstler out of Louisville, the sixth overall pick was guard Lexie Hull out of Stanford who was seen as quite a reach (she didn’t score her first points in the league until her 5th game), the tenth overall pick was center Queen Egbo out of Baylor, and the twentieth overall pick was guard Destanni Henderson out of South Carolina who might just be the biggest steal of the draft. The team had actually drafted 7 rookies, but only 5 stuck on the roster after training camp. Using the word “only” is a little misleading here considering 5 rookies is almost half of the 12-player roster. Coming into preseason, it was obvious that this would be a very different roster than we saw last season.
A team with 5 rookies is not necessarily ideal for winning, which is what the Fever are seeing, starting the season off with a record of 2–7. Despite their record they are still so much fun to watch. As with any young team, they make a lot of mistakes. Through the first 9 games of the season, they are committing 17.4 turnovers per game (3rd in the league) and have a team field goal percentage of 40.9% (10th in the league). But there is so much potential in their young talent. Smith has shown her great 2-way talent, currently averaging a double-double with 13 points per game (ppg) and 10 rebounds per game (rpg). Henderson has shown flashes of her great playmaking and shot creation. Egbo and Engstler have been great defensively, using their length to disrupt opposing players in the paint. Hull, despite not making quite the immediate impact as her other rookie counterparts, has a lot of potential to become a solid floor spacer with her 3-point shooting. Defensively, the rookies have provided so much energy. Egbo and Engstler are leading the team to becoming the 2nd best rebounding team in the league. They are also 4th in blocks, led by Egbo.
Any team, however young, is still only as good as their veterans. Their most notable vet, Kelsey Mitchell, is still quite young herself at only 26 years old. Mitchell, currently averaging 18.7ppg is the team’s leading scorer, good for 3rd among all guards in the league. She’s shooting 41.3% from 3 on 5 attempts per game. Although she is sometimes prone to going on cold runs, she always manages to hit long-range shots when the team needs it most. She’s electric to watch with her ability to hit 3’s, as well as her ability to drive into the paint and make tough layups. She’s no slouch defensively either, currently sporting a 104.8 defensive rating.
Is this team built to win games right away? Not quite. But they don’t need to. With an average age of 25 years old, there’s no rush to win a championship. With continued development from rookies such as Smith, Egbo, and Henderson, the Fever could be a scary matchup for any team in the future.
