They’re coming in hot. From a 20-20 finish and a first-round playoff exit to a roster retooled with firepower, the Indiana Fever have gone from rebuilding to being the team with a target. What was once Rookie of the Year buzz is now full-blown championship chatter. And that kind of heat isn’t exclusive to Indiana—nearly every WNBA squad is loading up. Whether it’s Paige Bueckers joining the Dallas Wings or Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky with HVL and company, the league is bracing for a shakeup.

But one analyst has already made her pick before the season even tips off—and it’s Caitlin Clark’s Fever: “The Indiana Fever will lead all teams in team scoring.”

They haven’t even clinched a playoff berth yet, but they’ve stacked their offseason with vets like Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner, and Sophie Cunningham. And if you ask Rachael A. DeMita, who issued that bold prediction on her latest podcast—“Indiana Fever are going to be super scary when it comes to the run and gun game. They want to run. They want to be fast. They want to be, they want to get up and down. They want to wear teams out and so that’s also why I predict the Indiana Fever will lead all teams in team scoring.”

We have already seen the potential of the Fever’s three-headed monster last season. Kelsey Mitchel and Clark ran the backcourt unlike anyone, having Christie Sides call them a dynamic duo with ‘ice in their veins’, while Aliyah Boston grew to be a steady post presence. But new coach, Stephanie White, is taking it a step ahead.

She made it clear on Good Follow with Ros Gold-Onwude that the goal is to mold Caitlin Clark’s game to avoid predictability. “From a basketball perspective, we have to make sure we help her diversify her defining ability so that she’s not predictable,” White said. “We can’t be so predictable with so much athleticism, speed, quickness and with so much game plan geared toward her.”

Clark is already a game-changer, but the Fever want her to be unguardable. That’s where off-ball movement, increased core strength, and two-player synergy with Boston come into play. While Clark’s burst grabs headlines, White’s scheme is all about layers—spacing, reads, and synergy.

Enter the All-Star forward. “The point guard and the center… you have the bookends that you want to build around,” White said when she joined the Fever. Now, she’s doubling down, likening Boston’s evolving role to Denver’s MVP: “Like a little bit more like a Jokic… in how she gets the ball — whether that’s, you know, in the trail…”

The blueprint is bold: Clark the weapon, Boston the hub—and suddenly, Indiana’s not just fast. They’re hard to solve.

and this has caused DeMita to  double down on the Fever’s depth: “So I think that they will be putting up crazy numbers this year with Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston all coming back but now they have threats like DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham. Lexie Hull is back and we’ll just have to see how all of these women gel together on the court. But I think the ceiling is so high for this team and I think Stephanie White knows exactly what to do to get them all on the same page and help them to win now.”

Numbers support that ceiling. Kelsey Mitchell averaged 19.2 points and shot 40.2% from three last season. Aliyah Boston put up 14.0 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks, while Lexie Hull chipped in with gritty defense, 5.5 points, and 2.5 rebounds. Her block against Angel Reese in Unrivaled became a viral moment. Cunningham brings spacing, toughness, and clutch shooting. Bonner, despite being in her twilight years, still averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. And then there’s Colson, who might average 2.5 points, but offers leadership and composure.

That’s Indiana’s offense—fluid, structured, dangerous. But there’s a storm brewing on the horizon, and its name is Napheesa Collier. She was supposed to win the WNBA title. She was supposed to dominate Unrivaled. Instead, she watched Angel Reese’s Roses take the crown. Now? She’s back with a vengeance, “I think Napheesa Collier has a chip on her shoulder. I think she wants revenge. I think she is going to come back with a vengeance this season,” DeMita said.

The Fever may be building something beautiful, but Collier’s rage might just rewrite the script.

Collier’s Minnesota Lynx were swept in the 2024 WNBA Finals by the New York Liberty. But she didn’t sulk—she sharpened her blade in Unrivaled. Collier led the league with 25.7 points per game on 61.3% shooting, adding 2.0 steals and 1.4 blocks—tied for league-high with Brittney Griner.

“She did incredible in Unrivaled. I think both offensively and defensively Napheesa has taken her game to the next level,” said DeMita. “But then on the other side the New York Liberty picked up Maureen Johansson. I don’t think people realize how much of a sniper that she is.”

As things stand, DeMita still sees the Lynx and Liberty as frontrunners. But believes Indiana can hop in there soon if they gel well. Boston seems to have hinted that we needn’t worry about that. But while Indiana looks to rise, they’ll have to go through stars who’ve already reshaped the league.

Clark Snubbed, Collier Soars: How the Lynx Star is Redefining Power in Women’s Basketball

Collier is reshaping the Game. The Minnesota Lynx star was named one of the world’s most influential people in 2024, landing in the “Pioneers” section alongside New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart. The honor comes on the heels of the duo launching Unrivaled, a player-led 3-on-3 pro league designed to keep top WNBA talent in the U.S. during the offseason — and put power back in their hands.

Collier and Stewart didn’t just talk change; they built it. And they did it while leading their teams to the WNBA Finals.

“Unrivaled makes female athletes think about everything differently,” wrote U.S. soccer legend Alex Morgan in the TIME tribute. “Sometimes you can just do it yourself better.” That’s exactly what Collier and Stewart proved.

The kicker? Caitlin Clark, TIME’s 2024 Athlete of the Year and arguably the most hyped name in basketball right now, didn’t make the TIME 100 list. That snub makes Collier’s inclusion even louder — a nod to true game-changers doing the work behind the scenes.

With over 20 players under contract for the next two seasons, Unrivaled is set to return with six teams — and plans to expand beyond Miami are already on the table, according to league commissioner Micky Lawler.

Collier’s impact stretches far beyond the court. On May 21, she leads the Lynx into their home opener against the Dallas Wings — but off the court, she’s leading a movement.