Stephanie White and Natasha Howard Trade Praises as Fever Advance to Semifinals
The Indiana Fever claimed victory in a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday night, stunning the No. 3-seeded Atlanta Dream on the road and securing their first postseason series win in a decade.
It's not only an indicator of progress for an organization that's endured its fair share of struggles in recent years. It's also a stamp of success for an aggressive winter that elevated Indiana's goals.
Against ALL odds @IndianaFever advance.
— Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) September 19, 2025
Lexie Freaking Hull with a steal for the win. pic.twitter.com/FIw7aZqZnV
Twelve months ago, the Fever snapped a seven-year playoff drought, but the celebration was short-lived, suffering a first-round sweep at the hands of the Connecticut Sun.
Entering a pivotal offseason, Indiana's front office set forth to assemble a squad better equipped to contend for a title.
That started with the hiring of a new head coach, parting with Christie Sides after two seasons and bringing on Connecticut's Stephanie White, fresh off back-to-back appearances in the semifinals.
Next came infusing a largely fresh-faced roster with a wealth of WNBA experience. Among those additions was a new starting power forward. The Fever signed veteran big Natasha Howard to a one-year, $214,466 contract in February, making the 33-year-old their second-highest paid player behind only Kelsey Mitchell.
According to White, she's been worth every penny.
"'Tash' is our vet," Indiana's head coach asserted. "Her leadership throughout the course of this season has been incredible. It's been a season that's had some peaks and valleys, and she's led us through it."
Stephanie White on Natasha Howard: "Tash is our vet."
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 19, 2025
💪🔥 pic.twitter.com/gX3QSvRuU2
Eliminating the 30-14 Dream certainly qualifies as a peak. The Fever fought back from an 0-1 hole in the three-game series, defeating Atlanta by 17 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse before clinching a series victory with a thrilling 87-85 comeback. Trailing by five with 2:34 left in the fourth quarter, Indiana scored seven unanswered points, taking the lead with seven seconds left on Aliyah Boston's layup.
Howard turned in a steady, if unspectacular, performance, notching 12 points and 6 rebounds in 25 minutes. Yet the 3-time WNBA champ, wrapping up her 12th season in the league, exemplifies everything that's different about this year's Fever squad.
"She's experienced championships. She's experienced everything in this league," White explained. "She's been Defensive Player of the Year, she's played with superstars, she understands it. No matter what, her leadership has been so steady, and it has been so important, and our team has been a reflection of that. I'm so proud of her."
Fever Seek First Trip to WNBA Finals Since 2015
With three championship rings (two with the Seattle Storm and one with the Minnesota Lynx) and three more WNBA Finals appearances, Howard has racked up 54 postseason games, by far the most of any player on Indiana's roster.
Howard's first trip to the Finals, back in 2015, is also Indiana's last -- and it came with a familiar face at the helm. In her first year as a WNBA head coach, White led the Fever and a 23-year-old Howard within a win of the title, falling in five games to the Lynx.
"I'm just grateful to get back to Indiana and be able to be next to the coach that coached me my second year in the league," Howard told media after the Fever's first-round win. "Just her believing in me, trusting in me to lead this team. It's a lot of weight on my shoulder, but hey, I've been through it before -- I can do it."
While White didn't receive any votes for WNBA Coach of the Year, the award ultimately going to Golden State Valkyries bench boss Natalie Nakase, Indiana's head coach deserves her flowers for getting the most out of a battered and bruised Fever squad.
Indiana has four players on its playoff roster that were initially signed via hardship contracts. One of them is even in the starting lineup, as veteran guard Odyssey Sims has taken over lead point guard duties.
"She does an amazing job for every person...she pours into every single person," continued Howard. "It doesn't matter how you play or how many minutes you're gonna get, she's going to tell you to be ready at all times, go out there and do your part. That's one thing I love about Steph -- how she believes in every single person. She trusts us no matter what."
Kelsey Mitchell and Natasha Howard speak on what Stephanie White means to them:
— AK (@Sudharsan_AK10) September 19, 2025
KM: "I've had 5 coaches in 8 years, been on worst record teams. I've never had a coach that poured into me, respectfully, like Steph has"
Tash: "She believes in every single person no matter what" pic.twitter.com/icoTRKHXln
That trust has paid off. Look no further than seventh-year forward Brianna Turner, who's become one of Indiana's most vital defenders after falling out of the rotation entirely during the regular season.
It's culminated in the Fever advancing to the semifinals for the first time since 2015. And if they're to follow that trajectory, a trip to the Finals could be in their future as well.
"I can replay the 2015 playoffs back in my head again," Howard divulged. "I'm just so excited that we're back here, and with this group of young women. The job is not done yet."
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Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.
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