Our teams in the old days, you know, had Tamika who really set that tone.
Tyasha Harris, a pending free agent, is coming off surgery, and Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White gave no timeline for her recovery: "I don't have a status update. She had successful surgery."
"At the end of the day, it's their decision about whether I return or not." Stephanie White, asked if she will coach Indiana Fever next season, said she feels supported by the organization but left her future in its hands: "I'd love the opportunity."
"Priority number one is Kelsey." Stephanie White said re-signing Kelsey Mitchell tops Indiana Fever's offseason list, then "complementary pieces" around Mitchell, Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston, starting with a long, athletic wing who can defend and rebound.
Raven Johnson will be a big piece of Indiana Fever's future, coach Stephanie White said, pointing to her ball pressure, rebounding and driving to the basket: "I think she's got an opportunity to slide into a larger role because she can do that."
Bree Hall and Grace VanSlooten "have an opportunity to really continue to improve and be solid rotation players," Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White said. She called settling the backup rotation "challenging at times" and wants more consistent rotations.
"Our teams in the old days, you know, had Tamika who really set that tone." Stephanie White said Indiana Fever's defensive mentality was not consistent this season, unlike the Tamika Catchings-era teams, and the staff will re-examine its defense this offseason.
Aliyah Boston "improved tremendously in stretching her range, the ability to play outside," Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White said. But Boston is also "very good in the 2-man," the two-player game with a teammate. "Like, how do you balance that?"
"Wanting to win a title and then learning what it takes to win a title. And, you know, those are 2 different things." Stephanie White blamed Indiana Fever falling short of a title on inexperience: it was only the Big 3's second playoff run together.
"It felt a little bit like the beginning of the year again." Stephanie White said travel and fatigue after the FIBA international break made reintegrating Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston hard for Indiana Fever. She wanted more practice days before games resumed every other day.
The microscope Caitlin Clark described "also unites our team," Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White said, "different than any team that I've ever experienced." The noise can't be silenced, only minimized, she said. Clark's biggest growth: "her being collaborative with us."