Stephanie White Points to Fever 'Hunger' After Keeping Core in Free Agency

These free agency acquisitions make the Indiana Fever serious contenders in 2026.

Aug 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White before the game against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever are coming off one of the most historic seasons in the franchise's 26-year history. This came after the team did the unthinkable when they reached the semi-final round of the post-season after being depleted with injuries—the biggest one suffered by star guard Caitlin Clark, who missed 31 games.

Head coach Stephanie White's squad endured a total of six season-ending injuries over the course of the 40-plus game season. No other team in the league faced such injury-riddled adversity like the Fever did in 2025, making their deep postseason run inspirational in many ways.

Following a historic CBA deal that was finally reached last month, over 100 players had hit the free agency market including key members of the Fever (Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Sophie Cunningham).

Stephanie White Excited for Future of Indiana Fever

The camaraderie that the Fever built last season easily makes them one of the most intriguing teams in the WNBA. At the start of free agency, the Fever were successful in taking care of the first order of business which was locking in All-Star and MVP candidate Kelsey Mitchell. In an interview with WISH News 8, White discussed why this was important and what makes Mitchell such a key component to the Fever's future success.

"She was priority number one just as she was a year ago. I think that you saw Kelsey Mitchell and what she's capable of doing on a consistent basis. She's been the backbone of this franchise for a long time. The way that she pairs with Caitlin and the way she pairs with Aliyah. She's the fastest player in the league with the ball in her hands and it was imperative that we got her back, so I'm thankful that we did," White said.

“Being that close in spite of what we went through I think gave this group a hunger to get to that next step.”@IndianaFever HC Stephanie White says there’s a lot to be excited about around this team & upcoming season

Check out the exclusive LIVE interview ONLY on @WISHNews8 👇 pic.twitter.com/UcSG9TAqGc

— Angela Moryan (@AngelaMoryanTV) April 13, 2026

The Fever not only kept Mitchell, but they were successful at keeping other key pieces together for at least one more year (Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham) signaling a bright future in Indiana. Combine this with a now healthy Caitlin Clark and polished Aliyah Boston and the Fever can be in complete control of their own destiny. White commented on the significance of keeping these players on her roster.

"I think it's always exciting when you can bring back a lot of continuity from a successful season. We learned a lot about one another. We learned how important the locker room is and the culture of our team and we took another step forward as a group."

"I always say there's no substitute for experience. Being right there in those moments being that close in spite of what we went through I think gave this group a hunger to get to that next step and get to the WNBA finals," White added.

This version of the 2026 Indiana Fever is built for championship contention.