INDIANAPOLIS — A new era is underway as the Indiana Fever embark on their 19th WNBA season, led by second-year head coach Pokey Chatman and bolstered by a powerhouse draft class.
Chatman, who also assumed general manager duties last fall, welcomes three top draft picks to a slightly reconstructed roster after Indiana missed the playoffs last summer, for the first time since 2004. No. 2 overall draft pick Kelsey Mitchell played with the United States National Team in an exhibition game vs. China last night and opens her first pro training camp Sunday alongside No. 8 overall pick Victoria Vivians and No. 14 overall selection Stephanie Mavunga.
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Chatman and her staff direct the team through its opening practice on Sunday, April 29 (10:00 a.m.), at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Mitchell is a dynamic, 5-8 scoring guard from Ohio State while Vivians is a long, versatile 6-1 guard from Mississippi State. Both were four-year starters in college who averaged double-figure scoring and shot over 40 percent from 3-point range every year of their college careers. They join a competitive backcourt roster that includes returning point guard Erica Wheeler plus Jazmon Gwathmey, Shenise Johnson, Tiffany Mitchell, Jeanette Pohlen-Mavunga and Jennie Simms. Johnson will be sidelined until late in the season due to her recovery from a torn ACL last season.
Gone from the backcourt are longtime Fever contributors Briann January and Marissa Coleman — January traded in March to produce Indiana’s second first-round draft pick; Coleman waived earlier this week. Also hoping to vie for a spot on the final roster are Belgian guard Hind Ben Abdelkader and Syracuse product Alexis Peterson, who played a rookie season with the Storm but was waived by Seattle last week.
Six-time All-Star Candice Dupree returns to anchor the Fever frontcourt with returning centers Natalie Achonwa, Erlana Larkins and Jennifer Hamson; and second-year forward Erica McCall. Kelsey Mitchell’s Ohio State teammate, Mavunga is a 6-3 power forward and former Indiana Miss Basketball who joins the post rotation with 6-5 trade acquisition and five-year veteran Kayla Alexander. Indiana got bigger, younger and more athletic during its offseason, and also returns 6-2 power forward Bashaara Graves who was waived late in camp last year.
The Chicago Sky visits Indianapolis for a preseason game and Indiana’s annual Choices for Champions educational event, May 7. The Fever travel to the University of Delaware, May 12, to meet the Washington Mystics in a neutral-site preseason game.
Indiana opens its regular season with the same opponents. The Fever host the Sky on Saturday, May 19 (1:00 p.m.) for Youth Sports Day delivered by Papa John’s. A day later, the Fever travel for a Sunday afternoon tipoff at Washington (1:00 p.m.). The Fever’s current 18-player roster will be trimmed to 12 by May 17, prior to the club’s season opener.