Ever since Caitlin Clark’s arrival, the Indiana fever’s popularity has skyrocketed. Well, the numbers speak for themselves. This season, the Fever has held the top spot in the league in terms of social media engagement, with the help of 800 million video views across various platforms. However, the team’s achievements aren’t limited to off-court success. Despite a poor start, Indiana now stands with a solid 13-15 record and looks poised for a postseason run. It might seem like it’s happening all of a sudden, but according to the Fever’s General Manager, it’s not!

“I think what we’re trying to do is grow stability. You know what to expect. You know what the system is going to be. You know it’s not constantly changing,” shared Lin Dunn in a recent interview with Indy Star. For Dunn, all the success the Indiana Fever is witnessing is the fruit of the tree she planted three years ago.

According to her, the Fever had a three-year rebuild plan that began in February 2022. At that time, the Fever hadn’t been to the playoffs in seven years, so a blueprint was developed to revive the team within the next three years. Technically, Dunn is in their third year, but due to a coaching change in 2022, she calls it 2.5.

“We had to restart, rebuild, recharge, reboot, whatever word you want to use, the Fever franchise, and I feel like where we are, I anticipated that we would be challenging for a playoff spot in Year 3,” she added. Quite evidently, the Fever has improved a lot since 2022, a time when the franchise was perennially losing. If she’s correct, how did the Fever achieve this success?

Christie Sides turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Indiana

It’s all based on the Fever’s three-year plan. First, the team’s head coach, Christie Sides, was hired before the beginning of the 2023 season. Before her arrival, the team had a 45-147 record with a .234 winning percentage. For context, this six-season record of the Indiana Fever was among the worst in North American team sports.

Everything up to this point was due to a lack of stability at the Fever. In those seven years, the Fever had been on their fourth coach. First, Stephanie White left Indiana for Vanderbilt in 2016, and then the following line of coaches lasted for a maximum of three years. Everything changed for the Fever after Christie Sides was hired.

Before the 2023 season, Sides became a first-time head coach. “I like what Christie has done. I like what she did last year,” shared Dunn. Well, she’s right. Sides helped the Fever improve from five wins in 2022 to an impressive 13 in 2023. It all became possible with Sides’ tough expectations for the team while allowing them to enjoy practice and games every day.

However, Sides isn’t the only catalyst in the Fever’s success. Back-to-back No. 1 picks, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, have been the cherry on top. They’ve been able to draw audiences to the courts, leading to sold-out arenas. But still, there are 12 games remaining for the Fever this year. Will Clark’s team be able to claim a second WNBA title? Stay tuned to find out!

Stay tuned for more such updates. Join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show.” Our host, BG12, sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.