The 2025 Indiana Fever season was the franchise's 26th season in the WNBA and their third season under head coach, Stephanie White, who returned to the franchise where she 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 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 (before fees) 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 (in both NBA and WNBA history) 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 during 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 (and its $500,000 prize pot), winning the game 74–59 despite their starting point guard, Caitlin 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 (breaking her own voting record from the 2024 season). 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.
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College/Club Outcome Ref. 2 19 Makayla Timpson F Florida State Signed rookie contract April 23Made opening day roster 2 20 Bree Hall G South Carolina Signed rookie contract April 23Waived on May 5 3 33 Yvonne Ejim F Gonzaga Signed rookie contract April 22Waived 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. DateDetails Ref. October 4, 2024 Hired Amber Cox as Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Lin Dunn named Senior Advisor October 27, 2024 Fired head coach, Christie Sides November 1, 2024 Hired Stephanie White as head coach November 27, 2024 Hired Austin Kelly as an assistant coach Karima Christmas-Kelly returning as an assistant coach December 11, 2024 Hired Keith Porter as player development coach January 27, 2025 Hired Jackie Maynard as Associate Vice President of Basketball Communications April 2, 2025 Hired Briann January as an assistant coach
Trades February (Four-team trade)To Indiana FeverSophie Cunningham and the 2025 No. 19 pick (from Phoenix Mercury)Jaelyn Brown (from Dallas Wings)To Connecticut SunRebecca Allen and Natasha Cloud (from Phoenix Mercury)Jacy Sheldon (from Dallas Wings)2025 No. 8 draft pick (from Indiana Fever)To Dallas WingsDiJonai Carrington and Tyasha Harris (from Connecticut Sun)NaLyssa Smith and right to swap third-round picks in 2027 draft (from Indiana Fever)Rights to Mikiah Herbert Harrigan and the 2025 No. 12 pick (from Phoenix Mercury)To Phoenix MercuryAlyssa Thomas (from Connecticut Sun) Satou Sabally, Kalani Brown, and Sevgi Uzun (from Dallas Wings)
Free agency DeWanna Bonner began the 2025 season, starting the first three games; however, she came off the bench for the following six games (with Lexie Hull getting the starting nod). 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 "[had] 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 [into the season]" and that equal trade opportunities were sought but no suitable trade options were found which resulted in Bonner being waived.
Core designation Player Date Notes Ref. Kelsey Mitchell January 16 Accepted core offer on January 29
Re-signed / extensions Player Date Notes Ref. Aliyah Boston April 18 Exercised team option Damiris Dantas July 9 Set as active
Additions Player Date Notes Former Team Ref. Natasha Howard February 3 One-year deal Dallas Wings DeWanna Bonner February 5 Connecticut Sun Sydney Colson February 6 Las Vegas Aces Brianna Turner February 16 Chicago Sky Jillian Alleyne March 24 Training camp contract Tarsus Belediyesi Mersin Yvonne Ejim April 22 Rookie contract(2025 draft pick – No. 33) Gonzaga Bulldogs Bree Hall April 23 Rookie contract(2025 draft pick – No. 20) South Carolina Gamecocks September 4 Rest of season contract Free agent Makayla Timpson April 23 Rookie contract(2025 draft pick – No. 19) Florida State Seminoles Aari McDonald June 1 Emergency hardship contract Los Angeles Sparks June 25 Rest of season contractChloe Bibby July 25 7-day contract Golden State Valkyries August 1 Rest of season contract Odyssey Sims August 10 7-day hardship contract Free agent August 17 August 24 August 31 Rest of season contract Kyra Lambert August 14 7-day contract Shey Peddy August 19 7-day hardship contract August 26 September 2 September 9 Rest of season contract Aerial Powers August 23 7-day hardship contract August 30 September 6 Rest of season contract
Departures 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. Player Date Reason New Team Ref. Temi Fágbénlé December 6 Expansion draft Golden State Valkyries Grace Berger February 2 Waived Dallas Wings Victaria Saxton February 3 — Katie Lou Samuelson February 10 Waived – contract amendment Seattle Storm Erica Wheeler February 12 Free agency – unrestricted Kristy Wallace February 25 Suspended contract – full season N/A – retained rights Jillian Alleyne May 5 Waived — Bree Hall Golden State Valkyries Yvonne Ejim May 7 — Jaelyn Brown May 13 Connecticut Sun Aari McDonald June 13 Released — DeWanna Bonner June 25 Waived Phoenix Mercury Damiris Dantas Suspended contract – temporary N/A – retained rights Kyra Lambert August 18 Released —
Roster
Depth Pos.StarterBench PG Caitlin Clark Sydney Colson Aari McDonald Shey PeddyOdyssey Sims SG Kelsey Mitchell SF Sophie Cunningham Bree HallLexie HullAerial Powers PF Natasha Howard Chloe Bibby Brianna TurnerMakayla Timpson C Aliyah Boston Damiris Dantas
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 (leading the Fever to a 3–1 stretch) 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 [her] 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.