Indiana Fever On SI

Indiana Fever Projected Starting Lineup and Rotation for 2025 WNBA Season

The Indiana Fever made many new additions during the WNBA offseason, here's how the team's rotation might look when the 2025 campaign begins.

Robin Lundberg

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White welcomes Natasha Howard back to the team Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, during a press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White welcomes Natasha Howard back to the team Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, during a press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. / Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever made several significant changes to the roster in the WNBA offseason through free agent signings and via trade. Not to mention, the team has a new head coach in Stephanie White. This means one of the first challenges for White will be how to best deploy the additions to the squad around the existing core that was already in place.

This core includes Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston. Here's a look at what the starting five and bench rotation could look like come the new-look Fever's season opener on May 17 against the Chicago Sky.

Point Guard, Caitlin Clark: It is plenty obvious who the Fever's starting point guard will be. Clark both broke the all-time assists record for a single season and produced more points in a season (between scoring and assists) than any player ever had during her rookie campaign.

Expect White to put Clark in motion a bit more often to free her up for easier looks, but the ball should still be in her hands the majority of the time as the team's engine.

Shooting Guard, Kelsey Mitchell: Mitchell and Clark made for the most potent backcourt pairing in the WNBA a season ago, and that should only continue from here. The attention Clark drew from opposing defenses allowed for Mitchell to do what she does best (which is get buckets) without teams being able to send as much help as they would otherwise.

Mitchell is also one of the fastest players in the league, so her ability to get out in transition can compromise defenses as well.

Small Forward, DeWanna Bonner: Bonner joins the Fever with 15 years of WNBA experience. Her versatility should be a welcome addition for a team that often struggled to match up on the defensive end. She should play a Swiss army knife role for the team, adding leadership to go with her situational awareness and ability to score the ball as well.

Bonner was also coached by White with the Connecticut Sun, so there will be no adjustment period there.

Power Forward, Natasha Howard: Howard may turn out to be the most impactful addition the Fever made. Her penchant for running the floor and finishing will be a welcome addition to a frontcourt that lacked those traits a season ago. Beyond just the easy buckets, Howard is also able to put points on the board in a variety of ways and will help the Fever battle defensively and on the boards, areas where Indiana was lacking in 2024.

Center, Aliyah Boston: Boston will likely be asked to anchor the Fever in several facets of the game. Not only near the basket on the defensive end, but also through her decision making when she has the ball on the block or high post. Boston and Clark should be involved in plenty of pick and roll action together, but the third-year player doesn't hunt for her own looks and showed she was content with being a key cog for the Fever without forcing shots.

Sixth Woman, Sophie Cunningham: Cunningham has made it clear she is happy to play a supporting role next to Clark and company. Cunningham will surely bring outside shooting and a degree of toughness to the floor. She also will allow for the Fever to try different looks, whether it be going small to surround Clark with shooters or in a more traditional lineup with Cunningham on the wing.

Rest of Rotation: Lexie Hull, Sydney Colson and Brianna Turner also figure to play key roles. Hull was almost unfairly over relied on a season ago since she was tasked with the difficult assignment of guarding the other team's best perimeter player. Hull now will be able to bring her energy without worrying about foul trouble. If she can keep up her shooting from the second half of the season, she should be on the floor often.

While Colson provides depth in the backcourt, the ability to play pressure defense on the perimeter, and be a reliable leader during the minutes that Clark is on the bench. Turner should add another option in the frontcourt who can protect the rim, dive to the basket, and set solid screens for the team's prolific scorers.

Final Spots: Damiris Dantas proved valuable as a stretch big a season ago. She could be called upon when the team is looking to space the floor or needs another body to match up with a bigger team. Meanwhile, guard/forward Jaelyn Brown and forward/center Jillian Alleyne will battle for a spot on the roster and perhaps in the rotation, depending on how they perform.

The Fever relied heavily on the likes of Clark, Mitchell, Boston, and Hull last season. And while the team's superstars will surely remain a focus, they did a lot to supplement them with the veteran roster additions. Stephanie White has her work cut out for her when it comes to finding the right lineups and player combinations, but it is a good problem to have. One that should cause problems for the rest of the WNBA.

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Robin Lundberg
ROBIN LUNDBERG

Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his popular YouTube channel. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak On SI and Indiana Fever On SI!

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