The countdown ended. The season began. And the Indiana Fever wasted no time making a statement.
In front of a sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the most anticipated season in franchise history tipped off with a 93-58 rout of the Chicago Sky, tying the second-largest margin of victory in Fever history. Caitlin Clark recorded her third career triple-double. Aliyah Boston added a dominant double-double of her own. But the loudest message wasn’t on the scoreboard.
It came afterward, from Clark.
“I know we put up 93 points and won by 30, but I felt like there were a lot of ways for us to still improve, and that’s what’s exciting,” she said. “Everybody’s still hungry to go back to work and get better.”
That mindset — improvement over celebration — may be more revealing than any stat line.
A New Indiana Fever Identity Built on Defense
Indiana entered Saturday’s opener having finished No. 11 in defensive rating last season. However, under new head coach Stephanie White, the Fever looked like a team fully committed to rewriting that narrative.
Clark and Boston combined for nine blocks. Boston recorded a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double with five blocks, tying a career high. The Fever held Chicago to just 29.1% shooting and 22.2% from three. The Sky never scored more than 17 points in a quarter and committed 17 turnovers.
“I thought we were disruptive,” White said. “We came with a level of physicality. It wasn’t perfect, but we played through our lapses. We played with multiple levels of effort — and that’s what it takes.”
It’s not just the defensive stats that signal a shift. It’s the effort — the team’s willingness to own its mistakes and cover for each other, even on breakdowns.
Clark echoed that theme pregame, noting: “At the end of the day, the best way to learn is just to get into live action and live games.”
And that’s what Saturday was: a live test, with encouraging results and lessons still being absorbed.
Caitlin Clark’s Control and DeWanna Bonner’s Milestone
Clark delivered a well-rounded performance, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and four blocks. She played through early turnovers and a flagrant foul call in the third quarter, issued for a slap on Angel Reese during a shot attempt, and remained composed throughout.
“There was nothing malicious about it,” Clark said during the broadcast. “It was just a good take foul. Every basketball player knows that.”
Beyond the numbers, her command of the offense was steady. She led a Fever team that saw four players finish in double figures and recorded 27 assists on 35 made field goals.
DeWanna Bonner added her own moment of history, passing Tina Thompson for third on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list. After sinking the decisive free throws, she raised her arms and took the moment. Bonner, now in her 16th season, finished with seven points and remains, according to Clark, “the strongest voice in our locker room.”
Indiana Fever Look Ahead of Schedule
Saturday’s cohesion, especially defensively, stood out for a team that brought back only five players from 2024 and added multiple pieces to the rotation. That Clark and Boston already look so comfortable in Year 2 together speaks to their growth and the urgency Indiana is playing with.
Even in victory, Clark sees room for growth.
“Not everything is going to be perfect,” she said before tipoff. “For our team, it’s how do we weather that? How do we learn through the mistakes?”
That question may define Indiana’s ceiling more than any win or loss. But if Saturday was any indication, the Fever already have answers — and they’re not waiting until All-Star Weekend to show them.
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