The good news? The Indiana Fever were able to finish their 2018 season on a high note.
Cappie Pondexter and Candice Dupree combined for 44 points to lead the Fever to a 97-92 win over the Chicago Sky this past Sunday. Pondexter scored a season-high 22 points, 20 of those coming in the second half to help her team snap a five-game losing streak.
.@CandiceDupree_4 and @cappa23 combine for 44 PTS as the @IndianaFever conclude their #WNBA season with a W! #WatchMeWork pic.twitter.com/3CLHMXBTcR
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 20, 2018
The bad news? 2018 had to have been one of the most challenging and frustrating seasons in franchise history.
In 2017, the Fever finished 9-25, second-to-last in the standings. This year, they finished a league-worst 6-28. For the second consecutive season Indiana did not advance to the WNBA playoffs. A once-premier franchise team accustomed to winning and consistent playoff appearances now struggles to put a complete 40-minutes together.
But why is that?
In the off season, head coach Pokey Chatman and staff focused on turning over the roster and building for the future. With a deep draft class, the words "youth" and "inexperienced" were thrown around more than ever before in the city of Indianapolis. 2018 was a season full of disappointment, deep frustrations and nonstop learning experiences.
The Fever’s second-overall pick and flat-out scorer, Kelsey Mitchell, was the highlight of their draft, followed by rookie shooter and high-volume scorer Victoria Vivians. The pair of rookies were thrown into the fire and expected to perform and learn on the fly. The duo performed, becoming the most prolific rookie three-point threat in WNBA history with each making more than 60 three-pointers in a season.
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But building a roster and turning over an entire team, especially a young team, can only happen in time.
"We have a lot of youth. They don't know any better, so they don't get too high or too low. They know they're learning under the lights," said Chatman.
Regardless, the 2018 season added another challenge beyond the Fever's control which made the task even more daunting…practice. "Playing 34 games in 94 days you have to correct things under the lights," said Chatman. "It would be easy for them to lose confidence, but they just kept coming back for more. I credit them for that."
Despite the youth of a strong rookie class, the Fever relied heavily on the few veterans on the roster.
Candice Dupree led the Fever in scoring this season at 14 points per game. As one of the oldest members of the team, she began with the basics. “How to navigate this league. The pace is different, the intensity, the grind," said Dupree. "Teaching them about who these players are in the league. They watch them on TV, but actually playing against them and know what their tendencies are and trying to limit those. I think they all did a great job.”
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Natalie Achonwa was the steady and consistent force powering the Indiana Fever this season. The fourth-year forward averaged more than 10 points and seven rebounds per game. She came up big in every Indiana win this season and was often looked upon as the one who has all of the answers on and off the court.
Thirteen-year vet Cappie Pondexter was signed by the Fever in late June. Sitting fourth on the WNBA career scoring list, she added poise and experience they desperately needed. She was inserted into the starting lineup shortly after and finished the season averaging more than 10 points per game. But her time in Indiana will be limited as she announced her intent to retire following the 2019 season.
With the WNBA playoffs now in action and the Fever's season complete, many players prepare to leave for their overseas competition. Chatman saw the final win as an opportunity to challenge her young team moving forward.
“We wanted to wake up as winners tomorrow,” said Chatman in a post-game press conference. “I told my team I want them to take some of our tears and some of our hard lessons from this season – take them home and abroad, keep learning, keep striving and come back next season just like we came back in these last couple of weeks."
It’s yet to be determined what roster moves the Fever will make in the off season. They definitely will need to add more size inside. As for now, the franchise waits for the WNBA draft lottery. Indiana holds the best chance at securing the top pick of 2019 draft.
The future of the Indiana Fever is questionable, yet encouraging. We saw flashes of what could be. But it is yet to be seen how the growing pains of this season will impact the franchise in years to come.
