INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Fever have finalized their roster for the 2016 regular season that begins Saturday under the direction of second-year head coach Stephanie White. White, the only first-year coach in WNBA history to guide a team to the WNBA Finals, welcomes eight returning players from a 2015 squad that reached the playoffs in a record 11th straight season, and the Eastern Conference Finals for the eighth time in those 11 years.
The Fever welcome the Dallas Wings to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for a season opener on Saturday, May 14 at 6:00 p.m. The game will be preceded by a ceremony honoring the franchise as defending conference champions and WNBA Finalists. Indiana’s opening game on Saturday tips off a three-game homestand to begin the 2016 campaign. Next week, the Fever host the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, May 18 (7:00 p.m.) and the Atlanta Dream on Friday, May 20 (7:00 p.m.).
Offseason player movement included the re-signing of four-year veterans Shenise Johnson and Lynetta Kizer, who eached played significant roles in helping Indiana to the 2015 Finals. An offseason trade with Minnesota brought 6-2 forward Devereaux Peters to the Fever where she is reunited with former Notre Dame teammate Natalie Achonwa. The WNBA Draft yielded a pair of top college guards – Tiffany Mitchell (selected 9th overall) from South Carolina and Brene Moseley (21st overall) from Maryland.
The 2016 summer also means the final season for longtime face-of-the-franchise Tamika Catchings. The 6-1 forward and former league MVP joins fellow All-Stars Briann January and Marissa Coleman, and veteran center Erlana Larkins among top returning players.
During what is her 16th WNBA season, the most of any player in league history with a single franchise, Catchings also hopes to earn a fourth Olympic gold medal with the USA Basketball Women’s National Team during the 2016 Olympics in August, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Fever roster was made final earlier this week when fourth-year point guard Layshia Clarendon was traded to the Dream.
2016 Indiana Fever Roster —
#11 Natalie Achonwa
#24 Tamika Catchings
#25 Marissa Coleman
#20 Briann January
#42 Shenise Johnson
#12 Lynetta Kizer
#2 Erlana Larkins
#33 Maggie Lucas
#3 Tiffany Mitchell
#30 Brene Moseley
#14 Devereaux Peters
#17 Erica Wheeler
INFO: View the current roster with player and coach bios »»
Head Coach — Stephanie White, Purdue ’99
Assistant Coach — Steven Key, Boston U. ‘90
Assistant Coach — Gary Kloppenburg, UC San Diego ’81
Athletic Trainer — Todd Champlin, Daemen College ‘82
Strength and Conditioning Coach — David Williams, Central Florida ‘10
Player Development Coach — Carlos Knox, IUPUI ‘98
Video Coordinator — Lindsay Davis, Iowa ‘07
Equipment/Operations Coordinator — Desmyn Bryant, Indiana ‘15