2023 Indiana Fever season

Last updated

2023 Indiana Fever season
Coach Christie Sides
Arena Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Attendance4,067 per game
Results
Record1327 (.325)
Place6th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid Not Qualify
Team Leaders
Points Kelsey Mitchell – 18.2 ppg
Rebounds NaLyssa Smith – 9.2 rpg
Assists Erica Wheeler – 5.0 apg

The 2023 Indiana Fever season was the franchise's 24th season in the Women's National Basketball Association, and their first season under new head coach Christie Sides.

Contents

The Fever named Sides their new head coach on November 4, 2022. She previously spent two seasons in Indiana as an assistant coach from 2018 to 2019. [1]

The Fever won the 2023 WNBA Draft Lottery and were awarded the first overall pick for the first time in franchise history, where the team selected Aliyah Boston. [2]

The Fever started the season slowly going 1–3 in May, with their one win coming against Atlanta. The Fever showed improvement in June, finishing the season 4–7. However, they won four of six games in the middle of the month and took Chicago to overtime. Their improvement did not persist into July however, as the team went 1–9, including an eight game losing streak that spanned June and July. The team turned their fortunes around in August and finished 5–5. The team did lose five of six games in the middle of the month, but finished the month on a three game winning streak. The Fever finished September 2–3, with both wins coming against playoff teams. Their .325 winning percentage was the best since 2019 and their thirteen wins were the most since 2019.

Transactions

WNBA draft

RoundPickPlayerNationalitySchool/Team/Country
11 Aliyah Boston Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States South Carolina
17 Grace Berger Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Indiana
213 Taylor Mikesell Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States Ohio State
217LaDazhia WilliamsFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States LSU
325 Victaria Saxton Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States South Carolina

Transactions

DateTransaction
November 4, 2022Hired Christie Sides as Head Coach [3]
January 4, 2023Waived Florencia Chagas
January 11, 2023Extended Qualifying Offers to Emma Cannon, Victoria Vivians, Khayla Pointer, Rennia Davis, and Temi Fagbenle [4]
January 13, 2023Traded Danielle Robinson to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Kristy Wallace [5]
January 20, 2023Extended General Manager Contract for Lin Dunn and removed her Interim Tag. Promoted Hillary Spears to Assistant GM. [6]
February 1, 2023Signed Erica Wheeler to a 2-Year Deal [7]
February 2, 2023Signed Maya Caldwell to a 1-Year Deal [8]
Signed Chelsey Perry, Rennia Davis, and Khayla Pointer to Training Camp Contracts [9]
February 5, 2023Signed Victoria Vivians [10]
February 8, 2023Signed Emma Cannon to a 1-Year Deal [11]
February 15, 2023Signed Bernadett Határ to a Training Camp Contract
March 29, 2023Hired Paul Miller as Assistant Coach [12]
April 6, 2023Waived Khayla Pointer [13]
April 14, 2023Signed Grace Berger, Taylor Mikesell, LaDazhia Williams, and Victaria Saxton to Rookie Scale Contracts
April 17, 2023Signed Aliyah Boston to a Rookie Scale Contract
April 23, 2023Waived Chelsey Perry [14]
April 26, 2023Waived Emily Engstler [15]
May 3, 2023Waived Rennia Davis [16]
May 9, 2023Waived LaDazhia Williams [17]
May 16, 2023Waived Destanni Henderson [18]
May 17, 2023Waived Taylor Mikesell [19]
May 18, 2023Temporarily suspend the contract of Bernadett Határ due to Overseas Commitments [20]
June 8, 2023Waived Bernadett Határ [21]
July 4, 2023Traded Queen Egbo to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Amanda Zahui B [22]

Roster Changes

Roster

2023 Indiana Fever roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#Nat.NameHeightWeightDOBFromYrs
G 34 Flag of the United States.svg Berger, Grace 6' 0" (1.83m)160 lb (73kg)06-03-1999 Indiana R
F/C 7 Flag of the United States.svg Boston, Aliyah 6' 5" (1.96m)220 lb (100kg)12-11-2001 South Carolina R
G 11 Flag of the United States.svg Caldwell, Maya 5' 11" (1.8m)160 lb (73kg)12-15-1998 Georgia 1
F 32 Flag of the United States.svg Cannon, Emma 6' 2" (1.88m)190 lb (86kg)06-01-1989 Florida Southern 4
G 10 Flag of the United States.svg Hull, Lexie 6' 1" (1.85m)155 lb (70kg)09-13-1999 Stanford 1
G 0 Flag of the United States.svg Mitchell, Kelsey 5' 8" (1.73m)160 lb (73kg)1995-11-12 Ohio State 5
F 5 Flag of the United States.svg Saxton, Victaria 6' 2" (1.88m)181 lb (82kg)11-10-1999 South Carolina R
F 1 Flag of the United States.svg Smith, NaLyssa 6' 4" (1.93m)185 lb (84kg)08-08-2000 Baylor 1
G 35 Flag of the United States.svg Vivians, Victoria 6' 1" (1.85m)183 lb (83kg)1994-11-17 Mississippi State 4
G 3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Wallace, Kristy 5' 11" (1.8m)157 lb (71kg)1996-01-03 Baylor 1
G 17 Flag of the United States.svg Wheeler, Erica 5' 7" (1.7m)143 lb (65kg)1991-05-02 Rutgers 7
F/C 30 Flag of Sweden.svg Zahui B., Amanda 6' 5" (1.96m)184 lb (83kg)09-08-1993 Minnesota 7
Head coach
Flag of the United States.svg Christie Sides (Louisiana Tech)
Assistant coaches
Flag of the United States.svg Jessie Miller (UIC)
Flag of the United States.svg Karima Christmas-Kelly (Duke)
Flag of the United States.svg Paul Miller (Lake Forest College)
Athletic trainer
Flag of the United States.svg Garrett Hueber
Strength and conditioning coach
Flag of the United States.svg Shannon Patterson

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (S) Suspended
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Depth

Pos.StarterBench
PG Erica Wheeler Kristy Wallace
Grace Berger
SG Kelsey Mitchell Maya Caldwell
SF Lexie Hull Cruz Roja.svg Victoria Vivians
PF NaLyssa Smith Emma Cannon
Victaria Saxton
C Aliyah Boston Amanda Zahui B.

Schedule

Preseason

2023 pre-season game log
Total: 1–1 (Home: 1–0; Road: 0–1)
May: 1–1 (Home: 1–0; Road: 0–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Record
1May 7@ Chicago L 56–81 Kelsey Mitchell (9) NaLyssa Smith (5) Destanni Henderson (3) Wintrust Arena
2,024
0–1
2May 13 Dallas W 90–83 Kelsey Mitchell (29) Queen Egbo (9) Erica Wheeler (9) Gainbridge Fieldhouse
2,084
1–1
2023 pre-season schedule

Regular Season

2023 game log
Total: 13–27 (Home: 6–14; Road: 7–13)
May: 1–3 (Home: 0–1; Road: 1–2)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Record
1May 19 Connecticut L 61–70 Kelsey Mitchell (20) Boston
Smith (9)
Erica Wheeler (5) Gainbridge Fieldhouse
7,356
0–1
2May 21@ New York L 73–90 NaLyssa Smith (16) NaLyssa Smith (12) Kelsey Mitchell (3) Barclays Center
8,575
0–2
3May 28@ Atlanta W 90–87 NaLyssa Smith (23) NaLyssa Smith (12) Erica Wheeler (4) Gateway Center Arena
3,209
1–2
4May 30@ Connecticut L 78–81 Aliyah Boston (20) NaLyssa Smith (15) Erica Wheeler (7) Mohegan Sun Arena
5,317
1–3
July : 1–9 (Home: 0–4; Road: 1–5)
August : 5–5 (Home: 4–4; Road: 1–1)
September : 2–3 (Home: 1–2; Road: 1–1)
GameDateTeamScoreHigh pointsHigh reboundsHigh assistsLocation
Attendance
Record
36September 1 Dallas L 100–110 Aliyah Boston (18) Boston
Smith (11)
Erica Wheeler (10) Gainbridge Fieldhouse
3,137
11–25
37September 3@ Dallas W 97–84 (OT) Mitchell
Smith (30)
Aliyah Boston (11) Erica Wheeler (11) College Park Center
5,058
12–25
38September 5 Chicago L 69–96 NaLyssa Smith (16) NaLyssa Smith (7) Grace Berger (6) Gainbridge Fieldhouse
2,450
12–26
39September 8@ Connecticut L 59–76 Kelsey Mitchell (15) Aliyah Boston (7) Erica Wheeler (3) Mohegan Sun Arena
5,064
12–27
40September 10 Minnesota W 87–72 Kelsey Mitchell (24) Aliyah Boston (12) Smith
Wheeler (3)
Gainbridge Fieldhouse
4,009
13–27
2023 season schedule

Standings

#Team
W L PCT GB Conf. Home Road Cup
1xLas Vegas Aces 346.85018–219–115–59–1
2xNew York Liberty 328.800216–415–517–37–3
3xConnecticut Sun 2713.675714–613–714–67–3
4xDallas Wings 2218.5501211–911–911–96–4
5xAtlanta Dream 1921.4751511–911–98–126–4
6xMinnesota Lynx 1921.4751512–89–1110–105–5
7xWashington Mystics 1921.475159–1112–87–135–5
8xChicago Sky 1822.450165–157–1311–93–7
9eLos Angeles Sparks 1723.425179–1110–107–135–5
10eIndiana Fever 1327.325215–156–147–132–8
11eSeattle Storm 1129.275238–124–167–134–6
12ePhoenix Mercury 931.225252–188–121–191–9

Notes

(#) – League Standing
x – Clinched playoff berth
e – Eliminated from postseason contention
Source: Overall standings and Commissioner's Cup Standings

Statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game RPG  Rebounds per game
 APG  Assists per game SPG  Steals per game BPG  Blocks per game PPG Points per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage 3P%  3-point field-goal percentage FT%  Free-throw percentage TO  Turnovers per game
 PF  Fouls per gameTeam leaderLeague leader

Regular Season

PlayerGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
Kelsey Mitchell 404033.7.441.398.8241.63.10.90.118.2
NaLyssa Smith 312828.5.477.284.6779.21.40.30.315.5
Aliyah Boston 404031.2.578.400.7458.42.21.31.314.5
Erica Wheeler 404026.8.398.309.8783.05.01.10.19.9
Kristy Wallace 37919.7.401.435.7502.21.90.60.26.6
Emma Cannon 30310.5.455.382.9093.10.50.10.15.8
Victoria Vivians 381417.7.380.287.7673.11.30.70.25.2
Lexie Hull 302520.6.372.217.7732.71.11.00.34.6
Grace Berger 36014.6.449.471.8401.61.90.50.24.2
Queen Egbo 1608.9.400.000.6474.00.10.10.52.9
Maya Caldwell 30110.1.292.138.8570.90.60.30.11.9
Amanda Zahui B. 2207.3.261.130.7501.00.30.10.51.5
Victaria Saxton 1503.6.333.500.8570.70.00.10.01.3


Waived/Released during the season
Traded during the season
Acquired during the season

Awards and honors

RecipientAwardDate awardedRef.
Aliyah Boston Rookie of the Month - May June 2 [23]
Eastern Conference Player of the Week June 20 [24]
WNBA All-Star Starter June 25 [25]
Rookie of the Month - June July 5 [26]
Rookie of the Month - August September 6 [27]
WNBA Rookie of the Year October 2 [28]
WNBA All-Rookie Team
Kelsey Mitchell WNBA All-Star July 1 [29]
Eastern Conference Player of the Week August 29 [30]

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References

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  2. "Indiana Fever Land No. 1 Overall Pick in 2023 WNBA Draft". fever.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
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  4. @RachGall (January 11, 2023). "The Indiana Fever extended Qualifying Offers to Khayla Pointer, Rennia Davis, Temi Fagbenle, Emma Cannon and Victoria Vivians. @Winsidr" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  5. "Fever Acquire Guard in Trade with Atlanta Dream". fever.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
  6. "Indiana Fever Extend Lin Dunn's Contract as General Manager". fever.wnba.com. WNBA. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
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  24. @WNBA (June 20, 2023). "🏀 Week 4 Players of the Week 🏀 Eastern Conference: @aa_boston @IndianaFever 22.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.7 BPG 2-1 week record Western Conference: @jewellloyd @seattlestorm 24.3 PPG, 3.7 APG, 1.0 SPG 2-1 week record #MoreThanGame" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  25. M.A. Voepel (June 25, 2023). "Brittney Griner, Aliyah Boston named WNBA All-Star starters". ESPN . Retrieved June 23, 2023.
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  28. "Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston Named 2023 Kia WNBA Rookie of the Year". WNBA. October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
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  30. "Kelsey Mitchell Named WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week". liberty.wnba.com. WNBA. August 29, 2023. Retrieved August 29, 2023.