Latest news with #FIBAAmeriCup
Indianapolis Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Injuries, inconsistencies and roster moves: Fever hope for smoother path after 'roller coaster' first half
INDIANAPOLIS – Halfway through the 2025 WNBA season, the Indiana Fever haven't been able to find any consistency. A new coaching staff has had to deal with a seemingly ever-changing roster. The Fever haven't had a full roster at their disposal for most of the season, save for two games in late May. Even then, they didn't have Aari McDonald, who has quickly become a vital part of their team. Other than those two games, they've had injuries, hardship necessities, other players and coaches out for personal reasons and players away for international commitments. They've consistently had only 10 available players, even dropping down to nine recently during a brutal stretch of games. 'It's been a roller coaster,' Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell said. 'Peaks and valleys, injuries, switching team personnel. It's just a lot of stuff that's happened. I think that's part of being a professional athlete. I don't think it gets any different, but I think that you need to go through things like this to be one of the teams that they talk about during the end of the season. Gotta go through tough (expletive) in order to figure out what you need.' Indiana opened the season with just 11 players (one shy of the limit) because of salary cap restrictions, and a preseason injury to Sophie Cunningham made the Fever even more short-handed. Then Fever star Caitlin Clark got injured, straining her quad at some point during the New York game May 24 (she couldn't pinpoint a specific moment she felt the strain happened), and was ruled out for at least two weeks. A few games later, Cunningham re-aggravated her ankle injury. That put Indiana below the hardship threshold of 10 available players, and they were able to sign McDonald to a hardship contract. After just over two weeks with Cunningham and Clark out, both returned June 13 against the New York Liberty. With their returns, the Fever had to release McDonald per WNBA rules. At that point, DeWanna Bonner, one of the Fever's marquee additions in the offseason, was away from the team for personal reasons. Bonner remained away from the team for five games and was eventually waived June 25 as she felt like she could not find a good fit with the Fever's offensive scheme. The Fever re-signed McDonald to a standard contract after cutting ties with Bonner, allowing her to be on the roster for the rest of the season. But they weren't quite a full squad yet. Backup center Damiris Dantas left the team June 25 for an overseas commitment, playing in the FIBA AmeriCup with the Brazilian National Team. She missed five games, including the Commissioner's Cup championship, while she led Brazil to a silver medal. At the same time, Clark suffered a groin injury. She missed those same five games as Dantas, putting Indiana down to nine available players for a stretch of five games in nine days. Indiana, even with just nine players, actually found a groove during that stretch, winning the Commissioner's Cup over league-leading Minnesota (and $30,000 each) as part of a three-game winning streak. They also took down the Aces for the first time since 2019. 'I think that everyone saw that we kind of got some flow when Cait was hurt and our offense was clicking, but now we have to have a new offense when she's in there, because she just brings that much to the game, and so we have to adjust,' Cunningham said. 'And I think all of us just want it now. We know what the potential of this team can be, but we can't think about that. You really have to take it day-to-day and stuff that worked here, we need to carry it over.' Indiana has hit another roadblock, though, with a deflating last-second loss to Los Angeles to break its winning streak. They couldn't find continuity in Clark and Dantas' first game back, either, suffering a 19-point loss to Golden State on July 9. The Fever, with all of their roster changes and injuries, have been a work in progress. For a bit, the Fever had their full roster for the first time. '(July 10) was the first time that we've had all of our roster,' Fever coach Stephanie White said. 'So we haven't had any consistency there. We haven't had everybody on the floor in a practice in a long time. And so I think we just have to take micro-steps into building that they can't just be talking about, that we've got to build it on the floor.' Indiana hit yet another snag when Clark exited the Fever's game against the Sun in the final seconds on July 15, holding her groin. Clark was ruled out of Indiana's game against New York after imaging on her groin, and White said she is considered "day-to-day." Clark also pulled out of the 3-point contest and All-Star Game in order to prioritize her rest. Indiana has been able to stay afloat, hovering around .500, but haven't been able to make the splash most were anticipating ahead of the 2025 season. The Fever are 12-11 and sit sixth in the playoff standings. And, with or without Clark on the court, they know they don't have very much time left to make that mark. 'We're running out of time, to be honest,' Cunningham said. 'And I think that it's going to light a fire under our butts. So hopefully you'll see kind of that energy shift.'
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grace Berger Finds Another WNBA Team
Grace Berger Finds Another WNBA Team originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Wednesday marks the final day of WNBA action before the All-Star break, and all eyes are on Indianapolis as it prepares to host the league's biggest stars in a weekend full of celebrations, fan events and on-court showcases. While the spotlight is on All-Star festivities, teams around the league continue to adjust their rosters for a second-half push. On Wednesday, the Dallas Wings signed Grace Berger to a seven-day hardship contract. Berger, a former Indiana Fever guard alongside Caitlin Clark, is expected to be available for Dallas' game Wednesday night against the Las Vegas Aces. This is the second hardship contract she has signed this season. Berger was selected seventh overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft by Indiana. She appeared in 36 games during her rookie season and played in 11 games last season alongside Clark, averaging 2.8 points per game. Indiana waived Berger in February. She was briefly picked up by the Minnesota Lynx but was released in May. In June, she signed a hardship contract with the Los Angeles Sparks and played one game before being let go. A standout at Indiana University, Berger was a four-time First-Team All-Big Ten selection from 2020 to 2023. She also helped Team USA win gold at the 2021 FIBA AmeriCup in Puerto Rico. The Dallas Wings enter Wednesday's matchup with a 6-16 record. They'll return from the All-Star break on Tuesday when they visit the Seattle Storm. Following that, they will be in the Golden State before returning home. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Indianapolis Star
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Finally with a full deck, Fever take key step in 'building consistency' with dominant win vs. Dream
INDIANAPOLIS – Late in the fourth quarter of Friday night's Fever game vs. Atlanta, Sophie Cunningham pumped her arms up to hype up the crowd. The Fever, after a few deflating games, were finally up by double-digits late against Atlanta. The crowd was getting into the game, raucous cheering coming with every missed shot from the Dream and every make from the Fever. Cunningham, someone who frequently shows her emotions out on the court, was reveling in that crowd, continually working to get them involved in the game. Then, to her surprise, Kelsey Mitchell joined in, too. Mitchell is usually one of those stoic players. But she helped Cunningham hype up that crowd, getting them to their feet. 'This is a special group that we have, and so when we can just go out there and have fun and be competitors and feed off of each other, it's just easy,' Cunningham said. 'And when people are smiling — you don't ever see Kels get like that, it's just like, 'Oh, yeah, we're in it,' and when other teams see that, it's game over.' Friday's win over Atlanta, a 99-82 drubbing, was something the Fever desperately needed. They had lost their previous two games to teams they should've been able to beat, including a 19-point loss to Golden State in Caitlin Clark's return on Wednesday. They didn't have that competitive fire. They let opposing runs crush their spirit. It came from a consistent form of inconsistency, with seemingly nonstop injuries and roster changes disallowing them from having a full roster at any given time. It was a constant state of change. But coach Stephanie White said that cycle is hopefully ending soon with Clark back on the court and Damiris Dantas' return from playing in the FIBA AmeriCup tournament. 'We've been talking all year about, you know, building consistency,' White said. 'This is Game 2 with our whole roster, you know, with everybody in our rotation, for sure. And we still haven't had a practice with everybody, right? So I think building consistency and habits for us, continuing to work consistency in the rotation.' Friday night was a good first step. Cunningham was a star off the bench, knocking down 5-of-9 shots from the field (including four 3-pointers) for 16 points. She was aggressive defensively, grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds and fought for every extra possession possible — as evidenced by her hitting her head hard on the floor when she forced a jump ball against Dream center Brionna Jones. It wasn't a serious hit, thankfully for the Fever. She spent an extended amount of time on the ground, then got up, laughing, and remained in the game to jump for the ball. 'I laugh when I'm in pain, just to give you a heads up,' Cunningham said with a smile. 'I just tried to get a jump ball. (Jones is) a good-sized post, and she is strong as hell, and I give her all the credit. I wish I had that strength.' It was a strong game all-around for the Fever. Mitchell finished with 25 points and center Aliyah Boston had 19 points, six rebounds, and a career-high tying eight assists. Caitlin Clark, in her second game back from injury, added 12 points and nine assists. It was a game emphasized by ball movement, feeding the hot hand and assists. That's how the Fever want every game to be. 'I think that our team has enough offensive threats that we should have five to six people in double figures every single night,' Cunningham said. 'When we move the ball, when the ball is popping, we're a really hard team to guard again.' Now, they just have to focus on maintaining that consistency they've been trying so hard to find. The Fever are 10-10, and they've been hovering around that .500 mark all season, never getting more than one game above it. But if Indiana can find a way to continue to play this brand of basketball, continue to find that consistent, assist-heavy style of play, the Fever can become dangerous. 'Every single person you know that's on our team, coaches, players, everybody, there's an ego that gets you to this point, right?' White said. 'But to be able to sacrifice that ego and have enough humility to make it about the we over the me, sometimes that's a learned behavior, and some people have it naturally. And we've worked really, really hard, and they've worked really hard to be able to, no matter what the circumstance, maintain that and be intentional about that.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Angel Reese Has Change in Physical Appearance During WNBA Season
Angel Reese Has Change in Physical Appearance During WNBA Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky were glad to return to Wintrust Arena on Wednesday night for their home game against the Dallas Wings. It marked the team's first game in Chicago since hosting the Los Angeles Sparks on June 24, offering fans a much-needed glimpse of their hometown team. Advertisement Chicago entered the matchup with a 5-13 record after falling short in a tight road loss to the Washington Mystics on Tuesday, 81-79. The Sky have remained competitive in several games this season but continue to struggle in closing them out. All eyes were once again on second-year All-Star Angel Reese. After making headlines earlier in the day, she took the court for warmups sporting a new hairstyle and wearing her signature Angel Reese 1 sneakers. The energy from the home crowd noticeably picked up when Reese stepped on the floor. Reese came into the night chasing her seventh straight double-double. The last time she didn't post one was June 21 against the Phoenix Mercury. Over her past six games, she has pulled down at least 15 rebounds in each outing, continuing her dominant stretch on the glass. Advertisement Chicago also welcomed rookie Kamilla Cardoso back to the lineup. She hadn't played since June 24 due to international duty with Brazil at the FIBA AmeriCup. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese sported a new look against the Dallas Gonzales-Imagn Images Cardoso had 27 points and seven rebounds in the last WNBA game she played before leaving for the FIBA AmeriCup. Her presence in the post provides much-needed size and support next to Reese. The matchup against Dallas kicked off a four-game homestand for the Sky. Once that stretch wraps up, attention will shift to the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, where Reese will represent Chicago. The Sky hope to build some momentum before the break and improve their standing in the playoff race. Advertisement Related: Indiana Fever Rookie Makes Honest Admission on WNBA Teammates Related: Aliyah Boston Comments on Caitlin Clark's Clear Change in Physical Appearance This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fresh off winning silver and setting scoring record, Damiris Dantas' return gives Fever a full deck
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Fever backup center Damiris Dantas will be making her way back to the U.S. soon after a successful FIBA AmeriCup showing. Dantas has been away from the team since June 25, heading to Chile to play in the FIBA AmeriCup with the Brazilian National Team. She played in six games over eight days and was named to the All-Tournament Team along with Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso after leading Brazil to a silver medal. Dantas averaged 21.4 points and six rebounds per game on 52% shooting from the field and 36.7% beyond the arc. In the gold medal match against Team USA, she had an AmeriCup-record 35 points. It's been a packed couple weeks for Dantas, who got barely any rest while she was away from the Fever. Coach Stephanie White intends to ease her back into the fold. 'She was incredible,' White said. 'Yeah, she'll need some rest. So, you know, I'm not sure when she'll be available.' Once Dantas returns, the Fever will finally have a full roster. Indiana has only had a full, healthy and available roster for two games this season: dating back to May 22 at Atlanta and May 24 against New York. Other than that, the Fever have had injuries to Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, DeWanna Bonner out for personal reasons then released and Dantas away from the team to compete in AmeriCup. Now, with Clark progressing toward a return from her groin injury this week and Dantas returning from Chile, Indiana will have all 11 players at their disposal. 'This will hopefully, knock on wood, when DD and she is available, this will be the first time that our full roster has been available,' White said. 'And so for us, reintegrating Caitlin, if we don't have any setbacks, reintegrating DD, you know, it changes what our rotation looks like. It changes what our lineup looks like. It does give us a little bit more versatility, but it's going to be a challenge, but something that's necessary for us.' Dantas' return will likely cut into the minutes rookie Makayla Timpson has gotten recently. Timpson has been impressive in her cameos on the court, integrating herself into the rotation and showing off her rebounding and defensive prowess. Dividing up those minutes will be a challenge, as White said, but for the Fever, it's a good challenge to have. Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@ or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar's Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Damiris Dantas 'was incredible' at FIBA AmeriCup, return gives Fever full roster
