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2016 Record:
17-17 (lost in 1st round to Mercury)
Key Offseason Moves:
Traded Lynetta Kizer and a 2017 1st-round draft pick, acquired Candice Dupree
and a 2017 2nd-round draft pick
Re-Signed Erlana Larkins, Erica Wheeler and Jeanette Pohlen-Mavunga
Selected Erica McCall (No. 17), Feyonda Fitzgerald (No. 20), Ronni Williams (No.
22) and Adrienne Motley (No. 32) in the 2017 WNBA Draft
2016 Highlights:
[wnba_video id=”50048″]
New Era Begins
For the first time since 2002, the Fever will open a season without Tamika
Catchings as its centerpiece. The future Hall of Famer has moved to a front
office position with the organization, so her presence will still be felt, but
No. 24 will no longer suit up on a nightly basis and leave everything out on the
floor. While it will be near impossible for one player to replace Catchings’
production and leadership, Indiana is fortunate to have several players that
have learned from Catchings throughout their careers and can step into larger
roles this season.
New Voice On The Sidelines
Not only did the Fever lose their most important voice among their peers in
Catchings, they also enter the 2017 season with a new coach as Pokey Chatman
assumes the reigns after Stephanie White left the team after two seasons.
Chatman spent the last six seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Sky, where
she compiled a 106-98 record, including a 39-29 mark in the last two seasons.
The Sky made the playoffs in Chatman’s final four seasons, including a run to
the 2014 WNBA Finals.
All-Star Addition
With the departure of Catchings, the Fever had a gaping hole to fill on their
frontline and they executed an offseason trade to acquire five-time All-Star
Candice Dupree to add to their core group. Dupree is an 11-year veteran that has
averaged 14.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in her career and won the 2014
title over Chatman’s Sky as a member of the Phoenix Mercury. Dupree should help
the Fever both on the floor and provide a veteran presence in the locker room as
well.
Maintaining The Playoff Streak
Indiana enters the 2017 season having made the playoffs for 12 straight seasons
– the longest streak in WNBA history. The last time the Fever failed to make the
playoffs was in 2004, when starting point guard Briann January (an eight-year
WNBA veteran) was still in high school. That run has spanned three coaches –
Brian Winters, Lin Dunn and Stephanie White – but always included Tamika
Catchings. Can Chatman and the new-look Fever keep that run going another
season?
Younger Players Stepping Up
While the Fever have veterans like January, Dupree, Marissa Coleman and Erlana
Larkins to lean on, they also have some intriguing young players to watch as
they grow into larger roles on the team this season. It starts with last year’s
first round pick Tiffany Mitchell, who averaged 8.6 points in 20 minutes per
game on her way to earning All-Rookie Team honors in 2016. Although the Fever
did not own a first round pick in this year’s draft, they did have a trio of
picks in the middle of the second round, led by No. 17 pick Erica McCall of
Stanford. The 6-3 forward has the ability to play in the post, facing the basket
and even shoot the three. She should learn plenty from Dupree as she begins her
WNBA career.
