The WNBA trade deadline came and went on August 7, and while contenders made bold moves to gear up for the playoff push, the Indiana Fever stayed silent. The Minnesota Lynx added DiJonai Carrington. Las Vegas brought in former No. 2 pick NaLyssa Smith for an extra jolt. But in Indianapolis? No deals. No reinforcements. Just $95,000 in salary-cap space… sitting there.
At the time, it felt curious. Days later, it feels like a full-on misstep.
The Fever, already without rookie superstar Caitlin Clark for the past nine games, have now lost two more point guards for the season. Sydney Colson tore her ACL. Aari McDonald broke a bone in her foot. Both injuries came in the same week, and both leave Indiana’s backcourt gutted.
Middle of the Pack, and Slipping
This isn’t just bad timing-it’s dangerous timing. The middle of the WNBA standings is jammed tight: seeds five through nine are separated by just two games. One cold streak and you’re watching the playoffs from home.
“That’s why Indiana stands out to me,” said analyst Erica Ayala on the We Need To Talk podcast.“They had room to spend. They’re right in that mix with Seattle, Chicago, and Phoenix. A couple losses now, and you’re on the outside looking in.”
Clark’s return? Still a mystery. The team lists her as out indefinitely, and head coach Christie Sides hasn’t given a target date. Without her, Indiana is 3-6, and while McDonald had kept the offense humming with 10.7 points and 4.1 assists per game, that option is now gone.
The offseason hype feels like a distant memory. Indiana came in talking championships, not just playoff berths. They paired veterans like DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard with young talent, building what looked like a contender. But Bonner’s midseason departure-waived after locker-room tension and joining Phoenix-left a hole that never got filled.
And in a cruel twist, Bonner lit up her former team for 23 points in their most recent matchup, handing the Fever their worst loss of the year. “That’s the kind of production they need right now-and don’t have,” one league scout told The Athletic.
Now, with just nine healthy players, the Fever have to grind through the toughest stretch of the season. No deadline trades, no veteran stopgaps, and no clear signal when Clark will be back.
Next up? The Chicago Sky, another playoff bubble team, coming into Gainbridge Fieldhouse with a chance to leapfrog Indiana in the standings. If the Fever stumble again, that $95K in unused cap space will loom even larger-not as a lifeline, but as a missed opportunity.
Read the full article here
