Indiana Fever Receive News on Player Who Missed Five Straight Games
The Golden State Valkyries four-game road trip continues Wednesday against the 9-9 Indiana Fever. Neck and neck in the standings with just four games until the All-Star break, Wednesday’s contest could play a vital role in potential playoff positioning. The Fever, however, could be getting a key role player back in the lineup.
Per Roberta F. Rodrigues, three members of the Brazilian Women’s National Team are scheduled to leave Chile Monday night after the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup and arrive Tuesday morning in the U.S. Indiana Fever forward Damiris Dantas, Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, and Seattle Storm assistant coach Pokey Chatman will each return to WNBA action after seven games in Santiago.
Damiris Dantas, Kamilla Cardoso and Pokey Chatman are scheduled to leave Santiago, Chile, tomorrow night sources in Santiago are telling me. They should land in the USA Tuesday morning.
— Roberta F. Rodrigues (@robertawbb) July 6, 2025
Dantas missed five games for her commitment to Brazil–playing her best basketball of the year. The small-ball five averaged a tournament-best 21.5 points per game.
She also finished second in field goal percentage (58.3%), behind teammate and fellow rim protector Cardoso.
Team USA, led by current college basketball stars like Hannah Hidalgo and Mikayla Blakes, defeated the Brazilian side 92-84 to secure a gold medal at the AmeriCup on Sunday. Dantas’ best showing came during the pivotal gold medal game, where she led all scorers with 35 points, eight rebounds, and four assists despite the loss.
Golden State is second in the WNBA snagging boards, averaging 37.4 rebounds per game. The addition of another front court player for Indiana could prove a challenge for standout Valkyries bigs Kayla Thornton and Temi Fagbenle.
Dantas is averaging 5.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game in 13 appearances for the Fever this season. The 6’4’’ big had her contract suspended to join the Brazilian National team on June 25. The Fever are coming off a nail-biting home loss to the Los Angeles Sparks, 89-87. The Valkyries are on a two-game skid after losing 90-81 at Atlanta. Indiana hosts Golden State Wednesday.
Anwar Stetson is a Multimedia Sports Journalist from Los Angeles, California. He previously worked as a TV News Reporter for KRCR News Channel 7 in Chico, California--covering politics, local news, wildfires, crime, and high school football. As an Assistant Editor for Spectrum Sportsnet: Los Angeles, Anwar worked on award-winning programs Backstage:Lakers and Backstage:Dodgers, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the two franchises' most prominent athletes. Anwar is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he received his Master's Degree in Specialized Journalism (Sports Emphasis) in 2019. He graduated from the University of California, Merced with a B.A. in English in 2016. In addition to Sports Illustrated, Anwar covers high school sports for Prep Network, and the WNBA for The Sporting Tribune.