2019 WNBA Team Preview: Indiana Fever
Indiana finished with the league’s worst record in 2018, but that is a distant memory. With a successful draft, a key veteran returning from injury, and young players who had successful years overseas, the Fever are confident they can compete for a playoff spot in 2019.
“I’m excited about the energy that’s in here,” head coach Pokey Chatman said after practice on May 9.
2018 Season Recap (Record: 6–28, last in WNBA)
Four rookies played in the Fever’s 2018 season opener. It was the first time that many rookies have played in a game for Indiana since 2000. When the season started, Candice Dupree and Kayla Alexander were the only active players who had more than three years of WNBA experience.
This is one reason why the Fever struggled in close games. Indiana lost its first 10 games, the last seven of which were by single digits. The Fever finished the season with a 4–7 record, which was their best 11-game stretch of the season.
Projected Starters
Teaira McCowan; 6-foot-7 center
(2018–19 Stats at Mississippi State; 18.3 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 2.5 BPG)
On draft night, VP of Basketball Operations Tamika Catchings said Indiana has struggled with height the last few years. Last year, Indiana’s tallest player was 6-foot-4. The Fever ranked last in opponents’ field goal percentage. They had a difficult time protecting the rim.
McCowan fills an immediate need for Indiana. She was 11th in the nation with 86 blocked shots for Mississippi State in 2018–19. She ranked in the top-10 nationally in points per play (1.25), effective field goal percentage (66.3%) and total rebound rate (25.0%).
Fever forward Natalie Achonwa is thrilled to be playing with McCowan this year.
“Every time she’s in the paint I yell, ‘Dunk it, T!’ It brings excitement to have that post presence, to have that size,” Achonwa said. “Her presence alone will deter shots. It will help open space for our guards.”
Kelsey Mitchell; 5-foot-8 guard
(2018 stats: 12.7 PPG, 2.7 APG)
Last year’s number-two overall draft pick became the third rookie in WNBA history to make 70 three-pointers in her first season. Mitchell got off to a great start, but struggled down the stretch. She scored in double-figures in 13 of her first 16 games. Then she posted double-digit scoring in just one of her next nine games. She played all 34 games and started 17.
Mitchell is coming off a successful season in Turkey, where she averaged 24.6 points in EuroCup games. “That first year in the WNBA tells you where you’re at as a basketball player and, of course, I wasn’t there. I think I’m there now,” Mitchell said after practice on May 9. “One of the other things I learned while overseas is confidence. I’m very confident in my game now.”
Teammates have been amazed at Mitchell’s explosiveness so far in training camp. Chatman said Mitchell weighs 14 pounds less than a year ago.
Candice Dupree; 6-foot-2 forward
(2018 stats: 14.2 PPG, 6.4 RPG)
The 8th leading scorer in WNBA history brings her scoring and veteran leadership back to the Fever in 2019. Dupree has 13 years of WNBA experience while the rest of the roster combines for 36. She started all 32 games she played in 2018 and scored in double figures 23 times. Her scoring totals are even more impressive considering she only shot one three-pointer all season. (She’s only attempted 95 threes during her career.) Dupree is the WNBA’s all-time leader in two-point field goals made with 2,452.
Natalie Achonwa; 6-foot-3 forward
(2018 stats: 10.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG)
Achonwa’s fourth WNBA season was easily her best. She started every game and led the Fever in rebounding. However, without a true center last season, Achonwa often had to guard players who were taller than her. That shouldn’t happen as often in 2019 since the Fever have McCowan.
Achonwa spent the fall and winter playing in China. She played power forward on a team with a 6-foot-7 center, which is how tall McCowan is. Achonwa said it was the perfect simulation for her role on the Fever this year.
Erica Wheeler; 5-foot-7 guard
(2018 stats: 7.8 PPG, 4.1 APG)
Wheeler ranks fifth in Fever history with 401 career assists, which is impressive considering she was undrafted when she graduated from Rutgers in 2013. Wheeler has established herself as a regular in the Fever’s starting lineup since she joined the team in 2016. She started 22 of the 34 games she played in 2018. She brings a jolt of energy every time she comes into the game.
Wheeler is another Fever player who is full of confidence after a successful season overseas. She was named MVP of the EuroCup Finals for her Russian team, Nadezhda. Having a confident and energetic point guard like Wheeler will be a huge help to this young team.
Tiffany Mitchell; 5-foot-9 guard
(2018 stats: 9.1 PPG, 3.1 APG, 2.3 RPG)
The ninth overall pick in the 2016 draft is back for her fourth season in Indiana. Mitchell started 20 of the 34 games she played last year. Chatman’s confidence in Mitchell has only grown after her terrific season in Israel. Mitchell led her team to the Israeli league championship by pouring in 31 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in the championship game.
Shenise Johnson; 5-foot-11 guard
(Did not play in 2018 due to injury)
Johnson was having the best year of her career in 2017 when she tore her ACL in July. She missed the rest of the 2017 season and all of 2018 while rehabbing her knee. The Fever were 7–9 in 2017 when Johnson got hurt. They have gone 8–44 since.
Even though Johnson has been out for a year and a half, she will be a major part of the Fever’s rotation right away. Her teammates and coaches are thrilled to have her energy and veteran leadership on the court.
“Just to see the tenacity and that grit that she plays with is phenomenal,” said Fever forward Stephanie Mavunga. “She’s always so energetic and it really brings you up and gives you energy yourself even when you don’t have it.”
Johnson will be playing in her seventh WNBA season. She knows her veteran leadership will be important for a young team that wants to get back to the playoffs.
Key Bench Players
Stephanie Mavunga; 6-foot-3 forward
(2018 stats: 2.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG)
Chatman has been receiving lots of phone calls from European teams who want Mavunga to play for them. The 14th pick in the 2018 draft missed six games with an ankle injury last season. She played 7.8 minutes per game a year ago, but Chatman expects more from her after a terrific season in Russia. Mavunga averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds per game for WBC Enisey during the Russian league season.
Chatman was about to increase Mavunga’s minutes last year right before she got injured, so Mavunga was thrilled to finally get that extra playing time while she was in Russia. Mavunga said she feels more comfortable playing pro basketball and was able to expand her skills in Russia. She’s confident in her ability to make significant contributions in 2019.
Betnijah Laney; 6-foot guard
(2018 stats for Connecticut: 2.7 PPG, 29 GP)
Laney was signed by the Fever in February. She is playing for her third team in four seasons. She saw limited playing time last year for Connecticut, but Laney’s defense earned her a spot in the starting lineup for Indiana’s first preseason game against Chicago. Chatman said, “I like that we have Laney because she’s a big guard who can defend multiple positions.”
Other contributors from a year ago include:
Erica McCall, a 6-foot-2 forward, played every game last year. She averaged 12.3 minutes and 2.9 points per game off the bench in 2018. She is a young player who has the potential to make more of an impact in 2019.
Kayla Alexander, a 6-foot-4 forward, came off the bench to play 30 games last year. She averaged 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. She is one of only three players with more than four years of WNBA experience. Her veteran leadership is an important part of the team.
Asia Taylor, a 6-foot-1 forward, was picked up by the Fever in June 2018. She averaged 8.3 minutes off the bench last year, but she’s coming off an impressive season in Australia, where she led the WNBL in scoring and was named MVP of her team, the Perth Lynx. She’s another player who is full of confidence heading into the season.
Key Losses
Victoria Vivians; 6-foot-1 guard
(2018 stats: 8.9 PPG, 39.9% 3PFG)
Vivians tore her ACL while playing in Israel on March 25. She will miss the entire 2019 season, but the team expects her back for 2020. She made 65 three-pointers during her rookie season in 2018, which ranks fifth all-time among WNBA rookies. She had four games with five three-pointers and scored a season-high 27 points against Atlanta on July 1. Her long-distance shooting will be sorely missed.
Cappie Pondexter; 5-foot-9 guard
(2018 stats: 7.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.8 APG)
One of the league’s all-time greats, Pondexter played 13 games for the Sparks last season before joining the Fever on July 1. She started 14 of the 17 games she played in Indiana and provided veteran leadership that helped the Fever end the season on a high note. She announced her retirement on April 16.
Other Rookies to Watch
Paris Kea; 5-foot-9 guard
(2018–19 college stats: 18.0 PPG, 4.2 APG)
Kea is a silky-smooth player who scored more than 20 points in eight games during her senior season at North Carolina. The Fever chose her with the 25th player in the draft. After one week of training camp, Chatman said, “Paris Kea has been playing really well. We were happy she was there at 25.”
Bria Goss; 5-foot-10 guard
(Undrafted after graduating from Kentucky in 2015)
Goss was named Indiana Miss Basketball in 2011 and the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2012. Now she is living her dream by participating in her first WNBA training camp. Please read this story about her to understand what an incredible accomplishment this is. In 2017, she had a hysterectomy to remove a cancerous tumor. In 2018, she was earning money as a bartender at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. She deserves enormous respect for everything she’s overcome to earn a spot on the Fever’s training-camp roster.
Prediction
Ignore last year’s record. The Fever have several positive things going for them heading into 2019. The mere presence of a dominant center like McCowan fills a serious gap the team had last year. Johnson will help Dupree provide veteran leadership this team needs to help them win close games. Young players like Kelsey Mitchell, Tiffany Mitchell, and Mavunga are full of confidence after success overseas. If the Fever can get some wins early on, they could be a dangerous team. They are still young and could struggle with consistency, but they certainly have the talent to contend for a playoff spot.
