Indiana Fever Prioritized Signing This Standout Player During WNBA Free Agency

The Indiana Fever went 2-2 when it came to signing their top priorities during this WNBA offseason.

Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White welcomes Natasha Howard back to the team Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, during a press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

News broke at the end of January that the Indiana Fever had signed two-time WNBA All-Star and 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Natasha Howard to a deal in free agency.

This was one of several major offseason moves that the Fever made, all of which have turned them into bona fide WNBA championship contenders for the 2025 season.

Signing Howard made a ton of sense on several fronts. Not only does she fill their biggest positional need at the wing, but Howard is also well acquainted with the Fever's franchise as she was drafted by Indiana with the No. 5 pick of the 2014 WNBA Draft and then spent two seasons playing there.

Howard signing with the Fever was an extremely well-kept secret until the news broke, which was why the women's basketball community was initially caught off guard by it.

However, a February 19 article from Chloe Peterson of IndyStar conveyed that this move has been in the Fever front office's plans for some time.

“I think it was Day 1 when I got this job, Kelly and I were on the phone, and we had two things on our to-do list: re-sign Kelsey Mitchell and bring back Natasha Howard,” Fever general manager Amber Cox was quoted saying in the article.

“We have been focused on this day and this moment since the day we started this process .”

When Natasha Howard joined the league in 2014, she learned the ropes from Fever legend Tamika Catchings.

Now, coming back as an 11-year veteran, she wants to return the favor to Indiana’s young stars.

A look at why Howard picked Indiana:https://t.co/jo8pNuvb3g

— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) February 19, 2025

It has been known for months that re-signing Kelsey Mitchell was a top priority for the Indiana Fever. However, they kept their cards close to their chests with their intention to sign Howard — which clearly worked wonders.