ESPN Makes Mediocre Indiana Fever Assessment

If somebody had told Indiana Fever fans before the 2025 WNBA regular season began that their team would have a 4-5 record through their first nine games, this would have been seen as subpar.

Of course, context is crucial when assessing how the Fever have fared to this point, especially given that star guard Caitlin Clark has missed the team's past five contests because she's still on the mend from a left quad strain.

Still, given how much the Fever's front office improved the team's roster over the offseason, many believed they'd be able to perform well in Clark's absence. This seems to be the sentiment that ESPN's Michael Voepel had when giving the Fever a C+ grade in a June 13 article that was titled "Grading all 13 WNBA teams one month into the 2025 season".

The Fever were fourth in our preseason predictions, so the buzz was warranted. But they haven't measured up to those expectations yet -- for good reason. They've been without point guard and catalyst Caitlin Clark (quad injury) the past five games, with guard Sophie Cunningham also limited to just four appearances. The Fever also know a lot of growth is needed to become a contender," Voepel wrote.

"Forward Aliyah Boston and guard Lexie Hull have shown improvement. Guard Kelsey Mitchell, in her eighth season, remains a pillar. Stephanie White -- back for her second stint as Indiana's coach -- wants her group to play better against physical opponents and find its rhythm on offense. Clark's return will help the team take advantage of transition opportunities. And when the Fever are playing at a fast pace offensively, it helps their defense."