It’s the first week in March and it’s time to start gearing up for the 2015 Indiana Fever’s 2015 regular season. The Fever is starting it’s 16th season in Indianapolis. Hard to believe I talked with the Indiana Fever’s Media relations Director Kevin Messenger and he gave
submitted photo
Coach Stephanie White
me a lot of reasons to get excited about the team’s upcoming season. One of the biggest reasons is the new head coach, former assistant Stephanie White. Coach White is a Lin Dunn disciple. She is also a hometown Indiana player having played high school ball at Seeger High in West Lebanon. While there in 1995, she was a WBCA High School All-American and was named as both the Gatorade and USA Today National Player of the Year. She went on to be chosen the 1995 Indiana Miss Basketball. She played for coach Dunn as a collegiate at Purdue University and led the Lady Boilermakers to the 1999 NCAA Women’s National Basketball championship and was named national college Player of the Year. She also won the Wade Trophy in 1999, which recognizes the nation’s best
female college basketball player, as well as the Honda Sports award. Ms. White played five
seasons in the WNBA — one season with
the Charlotte Sting and four with our Fever where she was one of the team’s top players from 2000 to 2003. She started her coaching career in 2004 and served on the staffs of Ball State, Kansas State, and the University of Toledo. In 2007 she joined the staff of Chicago Sky and was there through the 2010 season. In 2011 she came back to the Fever and Coach Dunn in 2011, and has been here ever since. She has also served as an analyst for both ESPN, Big Ten Network, and Fox Sports Indiana. The team is in great hands.
Tamika Catchings is back for her 15th campaign. The 2011 WNBA MVP and nine-time All-Star forward is definitely the face of the franchise and team leader. Her maturity and experience are positive inspiration for the rest of the team and make her a wonderful role model. Tamika will be retiring as a player after the 2016 Olympics, but she is hungry for another WNBA Championship. So count on Tamika Catchings for another All Star performance.
The team is really excited about 22-year-old “rookie” center Natalie Achonwa. Natalie is a lovely young lady from Guelph, Canada who stands 6 foot 4 inches and weighs 183 pounds. Natalie played for Notre Dame from 2010 through last year (where she was called “Ace”) as well as the 2012 Canadian National Team. Against Baylor on March 31 last year, in what was the Lady Irish’s last home game, Natalie suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament. The Fever selected her with the ninth pick in the first round of the 2014 WNBA College Draft. Messenger admits that if it wasn’t for the injury, Natalie probably wouldn’t have been available with that pick. Natalie wasn’t able to play but she watched, learned, and absorbed the Fever’s style of play. She is really ready for her rookie season to commence. It was that way with Tamika Catchings in her first year, and you see what a great player she has become. I’m thinkin’ Rookie of the Year for Ms. Achonwa.
Forward/Center Lynetta Kizer is being called a “diamond in the rough.” The 6 foot 4 inch, 230 pounder is a Maryland grad and at age 24 is entering her fourth year in the WNBA; her second with the Fever. They hope to team her with Natalie and Earlana Larkins for a dynamic combination. Natasha Howard was the Fever’s first overall pick in the 2014 draft at number 5. She enjoyed a very solid rookie campaign and played well in the playoffs. She hopes to continue growing as a Fever forward. Marissa Coleman, Shavonte Zellous, and Briann January are veterans who will bring stability, knowledge, and leadership to the team. As to the Fever’s opponents, the Minnesota Lynx are always excellent, the Los Angeles Sparks will again be strong contenders, the Atlanta Dream, the Chicago Sky, the New York Liberty, and Washington Mystics are all strong teams who will be in the hunt for a title. They will give the Fever all the competition they want and it will make for an exciting 2015 WNBA season.
The Fever is considered one of the most stable and successful franchises in the WNBA, if not all of basketball. When I asked Messenger about this he said one word: “Continuity.” The team has found a winning formula that works. Another part of that is Tamika Catchings. She has been the face of the franchise for 13 seasons. That’s a very long time in the WNBA. Fever President and General Manager Kelly Krauskop enters her 16th season with the Fever. She has been with the Club since the beginning and her administration of the Fever front office and team in general has been a key to their success. Julie Graue has been Vice President of Business Operations and sales for over 13 years. Continuity and consistency have made the Fever a champion team.
On Saturday March 21 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. the Fever will conduct an Open House at Bankers Life Fieldhouse hosted by Tamika Catchings and coach Stephanie White. Fans will get first access to renew or upgrade to the best seat locations for the upcoming season, as well as a chance to shoot hoops and tour Bankers Life Fieldhouse. You can register to attend the Open House at feverbasketball.com so get your RSVP registration in now. One of the Fever’s most popular ticket packages is the Tourney Time Special which offers center court seating for the Fever’s opening game plus four games of your choice for $155 which is an unbeatable deal. You can call the box office at 317-917-2528.
So as I said there is a lot to get excited about as the Fever opens it’s 2015 season. There will be thrills, spills, and a whole bunch of excitement and fun. CATCH THE FEVER IN 2015!
snicewanger@yahoo.com
