2025 Indiana Fever season


The 2025 Indiana Fever season was the franchise's 26th season in the WNBA and their 3rd season under head coach, Stephanie White, who returns to the franchise where she was previously coached the Fever from 2015 to 2016.
The Fever finished 6th in the 2024 regular season, making the playoffs for the first time since 2016. On October 27, 2024, the Fever announced the firing of head coach Christie Sides, after the end of the 2024 season. Then on November 1, the Fever announced Stephanie White as their new head coach. During the 2025 regular season, White missed two games in June due to personal reasons during which assistant coach, Austin Kelly, served as acting head coach.
The Fever set a WNBA record for highest resale ticket prices for a preseason game with an average ticket price of $440 for their May 4 exhibition game against Brazil at Carver–Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. However, on game day, it was reported that resale ticket prices for this game was at an average ticket price of $670, making it the highest price on record for any WNBA game since 2015. The game was the third most viewed preseason basketball game on ESPN since 2010 with 1.3 million viewers.
In May 2025 the Indiana Fever launched Fever Direct with Endeavor Streaming to provide access to a maximum of 18 live regular season games and full game replays to fans in approved Midwest regions.
On May 18, 2025, the WNBA announced they had opened an investigation regarding, "allegations of inappropriate fan conduct" directed at Chicago Sky players occurring the Fever's May 17 home opener versus the Sky. The Sky's head coach, Tyler Marsh, told the press that he and his team did not report or witness any misconduct while at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and only learned about the allegations after the game had concluded. Nine days later, the WNBA announced their investigation was complete, and all allegations of racist fan behavior were unsubstantiated.
During 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup game play, the Fever went 4–1 in their conference. Due to their head-to-head win over the New York Liberty on June 14, the Fever advanced to the final as the representative of the Eastern conference to face the Minnesota Lynx. The two teams met on July 1 at the Target Center, where the Fever claimed the mid-season trophy, winning the game 74–59 despite their starting point guard, Clark, being out with a groin injury. At the conclusion of the tournament, the Fever had raised a total of $23,000 for Peace Learning Center in Indianapolis.
Despite having five players with season-ending injuries, the Fever clinched a playoff spot in the postseason for the second consecutive season on September 7.

All-Star hosts

In August 2024, the WNBA announced that the Fever would host 2025 WNBA All-Star Game and related events in July 2025 for the first time in franchise history. Tickets for All-Star weekend events went on sale on April 29, 2025, and sold out within seven hours.
On June 29, Clark was named team captain for the 2025 All-Star Game for the first time in her career after receiving 1,293,526 votes, the most votes in WNBA history. The following day, Aliyah Boston was also named an All-Star starter, her third time earning All-Star honors in her WNBA career. The Fever had a total of eight players in the top 40 of total fan All-Star votes. No other team in the league had more than four players crack the top 40. On July 6, Kelsey Mitchell earned her third All-Star selection. During the All-Star draft on July 8, Clark selected both Boston and Mitchell as her first picks from the starter and reserve players, respectively.

Draft

After trading away their 2025 first round pick, the Fever entered the draft with two consecutive second round picks as well as their own third round pick.
RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityCollege/ClubOutcomeRef.
219Makayla TimpsonFFlorida StateSigned rookie contract April 23
Made opening day roster
220Bree HallGSouth CarolinaSigned rookie contract April 23
Waived on May 5
333Yvonne EjimFGonzagaSigned rookie contract April 22
Waived on May 7

Transactions

Front office and coaching

On January 16, 2025, Pacers Sports & Entertainment announced that the Fever would have its own devoted practice facility walking distance from Gainbridge Fieldhouse by 2027. The $78 million exclusive sports performance center will be spread across 108,000 sq. ft., making it the largest practice facility among the existing WNBA teams.
DateDetailsRef.
October 4, 2024Hired Amber Cox as Chief Operating Officer and General Manager
October 4, 2024Lin Dunn named Senior Advisor
October 27, 2024Fired head coach, Christie Sides
November 1, 2024Hired Stephanie White as head coach
November 27, 2024Hired Austin Kelly as an assistant coach
November 27, 2024Karima Christmas-Kelly returning as an assistant coach
December 11, 2024Hired Keith Porter as player development coach
January 27, 2025Hired Jackie Maynard as Associate Vice President of Basketball Communications
April 2, 2025Hired Briann January as an assistant coach

Free agency

DeWanna Bonner began the 2025 season, starting the first three games; however, she came off the bench for the following six games. Since the Fever's June 13 game, Bonner was listed on injury reports as unavailable due to "personal reasons." On June 24, 2025, it was reported that Bonner " no interest in returning to play for the Fever." The next day, the Fever announced that they had waived Bonner, who in her own words stated she "felt the fit did not work out" and she preferred to play for teams such as the Phoenix Mercury or the Atlanta Dream. Fever general manager, Amber Cox, spoke to the press on June 26 and stated that Bonner expressed her dissatisfaction "nine, ten games " and that equal trade opportunities were sought but no suitable trade options were found which resulted in Bonner being waived.

Subtractions / unsigned

In 2024, the WNBA held its first expansion draft since 2008. The league's new expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries, selected Temi Fágbénlé from the Fever roster during the draft.
PlayerDateReasonNew TeamRef.
Temi FágbénléDecember 6Expansion draftGolden State Valkyries
Grace BergerFebruary 2WaivedDallas Wings
Victaria SaxtonFebruary 3Waived—
Katie Lou SamuelsonFebruary 10Waived – contract amendmentSeattle Storm
Erica WheelerFebruary 12Free agency – unrestrictedSeattle Storm
Kristy WallaceFebruary 25Suspended contract – full seasonN/A – retained rights
Jillian AlleyneMay 5Waived—
Bree HallMay 5WaivedGolden State Valkyries
Yvonne EjimMay 7Waived—
Jaelyn BrownMay 13WaivedConnecticut Sun
Aari McDonaldJune 13Released—
DeWanna BonnerJune 25WaivedPhoenix Mercury
Damiris DantasJune 25Suspended contract – temporaryN/A – retained rights
Kyra LambertAugust 18Released—

Roster

Injuries

On May 26, 2025, the Fever announced that Caitlin Clark had suffered a left quadriceps strain and would be out for a minimum of two weeks. During her June 5 status update press conference, Clark revealed her injury occurred during the Fever's May 24 game against the New York Liberty. In the May 30 match-up against Connecticut, two more Fever guards, Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham, both left the game with upper left leg and right ankle injuries, respectively. To keep a roster with 10 game-eligible players, the Fever signed guard, Aari McDonald, on June 1 to an emergency hardship contract. Due to Clark and Cunningham's likely return for the June 14 game hosting the Liberty, McDonald was waived by the Fever on June 13. Clark and Cunningham returned to play on June 14 in the Fever's home win over the New York Liberty, handing the reigning champs their first loss of the 2025 season.
On June 26, 2025, the Fever announced Clark would miss that day's home game against the Los Angeles Sparks due to a left groin injury. Fever head coach, Stephanie White, stated to the press that Clark and her ability to return to play likely would be assessed on "day-to-day" basis. During practice media availability on July 8, White and Clark both stated their expectation for Clark to be off the Fever's injury report and available for their game on July 9. She did return to play for the next four games before she suffered a right groin injury in the final minutes of their July 15 game against the Connecticut Sun. Clark missed her tenth game of the season, a back-to-back at New York, prior to the All-Star weekend. On July 17, Clark announced via the Fever's social media that she would not be participating in the 2025 three-point contest or playing All-Star game due to her injury and "need to rest body." On July 24, the Fever announced that Clark underwent further medical evaluations in which "no additional injuries or damage were discovered"; however, no was timeline provided for Clark's return in the press release. On July 25, the Fever signed forward, Chloe Bibby to a 7-day contract. Clark announced on September 4 via her personal social media accounts that she would not return to play for the 2025 season.
During the Fever's August 7 game at Phoenix, Sydney Colson was helped to the locker room in the first quarter after a non-contact injury to her left leg, and Aari McDonald exited the fourth with a right foot injury. The following day, the Fever announced both Colson and McDonald had sustained season-ending injuries, Colson with a left ACL tear and McDonald with a fracture in her right foot, leaving the Fever without any healthy point guards. On August 10, Odyssey Sims was signed to a 7-day hardship contract, and on August 14, rookie guard, Kyra Lambert, was signed to a 7-day contract. Lambert was released on August 18.
In the second quarter of the Fever's match-up at Connecticut on August 17, Sophie Cunningham left the game with a right knee injury after Sun guard, Bria Hartley, stumbled into the paint and fell into Cunningham's leg. On August 19, the Fever stated that Cunningham would be out for the remainder of the Fever's season due to her right knee injury and had signed Shey Peddy to a 7-day hardship contract. Cunningham confirmed reports of her tearing her right MCL, on her August 19 episode of her podcast, "Show Me Something."
Before the Fever's August 22 game, Chloe Bibby was listed as "out" on the injury report for the first time this season with a left knee injury. On August 23, Aerial Powers was signed to a 7-day hardship contract. Bibby would not return to play and was ruled out for remainder of the season on September 4. Coach White stated that same day to the press that Bibby's knee became swollen with their travel and they had, "not been able to get the swelling reduced... definitely not going to be ready by the end of the season." On September 4, Bree Hall was signed to a rest of season contract.

Schedule

Regular season

'''Notes:'''

Statistics

Regular season

‡Waived/Released during the season

†Traded during the season

≠Acquired during the season