Stephanie White Identifies 'Critical' Factor for Fever in 2026
The Indiana Fever hit the floor for the first time in 2026, kicking off a three-game preseason slate Saturday with a matchup against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center.
Star guard tandem Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell headlined the Fever lineup, though the spotlight fell upon two newcomers by final whistle. Rookie point guard Raven Johnson (No. 9 overall) and free-agent signing Shatori Walker-Kimbrough flanked coach Stephanie White at the postgame press conference after contributing to Indiana's 62 points off the bench in a 109-91 win.
"Depth is going to be critical for us," White asserted postgame. "We've got to be able to have a quality rotation. We've got to be able to get production from multiple players."
Walker-Kimbrough paced all Fever players with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 22:11. Johnson made all three of her shots for six points and added a game-high eight assists. Both project to be backcourt options off the bench for White this season.
Raven Johnson in her preseason debut:
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) April 25, 2026
• 6 points
• 8 ASSISTS
• 3 rebounds
• 2 blocks
• 3/3 FG
• 18 minutes played pic.twitter.com/Lej69Y1LhY
"Tori's been in this league a while. Raven's a newbie, but you gotta have it," White added. "When you get into the postseason, and you get into series in particular -- when we think about seven-game series, you gotta have multiple players that you can count on."
Ninth-year forward Monique Billings and veteran Myisha Hines-Allen anchor Indiana's free-agent additions, while Justine Pissot (No. 25 overall) and Jessica Timmons (No. 40 overall) round out the 2026 draft class. The Fever also signed former Minnesota Lynx guard Kayana Traylor and 2025 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year Megan McConnell to training camp contracts.
Fever bench flashes 'versatility' in preseason opener
The Fever didn't have the flashiest offseason, but a new-look bench gives White a myriad of different looks to play with.
"It's why we wanted to bring in the players that we did," White explained. "Not just depth at every position, but versatility in how we can play."
That versatility was on display Saturday against New York.
rookie preseason debut numbers 💥
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) April 25, 2026
Raven Johnson, Justine Pissott and Jessica Timmons stayed ready 💪 pic.twitter.com/nBkmcVmCr8
Johnson, pegged as a top guard option off the bench, acquitted herself well in her preseason debut. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year in the SEC recorded a steal and two blocks while flashing impressive playmaking, finishing plus-14 in 17:32.
Pissott showcased her three-point stroke, hitting two of three from beyond the arc in an eight-point debut. The 6-foot-4 rookie shot 40 percent from distance over her last three NCAA seasons at Vanderbilt University, and could eventually carve out a vital role as one of Indiana's top floor spacers (Pissott is currently signed to a development deal).
Second-year forward Makayla Timpson was perfect on three shots inside the cup and added another five points at the free-throw line, drawing a team-high six attempts.
Timpson takes the steal all the way pic.twitter.com/e8SDzVOzvq
— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) April 25, 2026
Walker-Kimbrough's offensive outburst was an encouraging sign after the 30-year-old guard averaged just 1.7 points in 40 games with the Atlanta Dream in 2025 -- a sizable drop from 2024, when she posted 7.5 points per game and finished third in 6th Player of the Year voting.
"We can play big, we can play small. We can have a group that can come in and turn it up on the defensive end if we need to change momentum. We can space the floor with shooters," White lauded. "So we can play in different ways, and I'm really pleased with our effort tonight. I'm really pleased with how hard we played, how gritty and tough we were, because that's what we're about."
Preseason contests are rarely a precise forecast for the season ahead, but Indiana can take encouragement from a solid first showing.
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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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