3 offseason cures for the Indiana Fever to rebound in 2023

2. Develop NaLyssa Smith and Destanni Henderson

The Fever ended the 2022 Draft with the rights to NaLyssa Smith and Destanni Henderson. Both players can change this franchise in a major way.

Smith can break down the defense at all three levels. She finished her rookie season averaging  13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting an impressive 38.1 percent from three-point range.

Last season, Indiana struggled with scoring in late-game situations. Only two players averaged double figures in scoring. Smith will continue to grow and help this team, but the franchise must allow her to develop her game.

Smith has a strong one-on-one game and can create her own offense, but she still needs someone to match her fancy on the offensive end.

Insert floor general Destanni Henderson

For the Fever to change the culture, they also need to develop Henderson. The South Carolina product is a natural leader and can be one of the leaders of this team.

Coach Sides should look to start Henderson this year with Kelsey Mitchell in the backcourt. Both point guards will be able to feed off of each other.

Henderson is another key piece to this franchise’s rebuild. She finished her rookie campaign averaging 5.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.6 rebounds per game while shooting 36.6 from three.

In the last few seasons, Indiana has lacked leadership on and off the court. Henderson can provide that connective tissue of leadership from the coach onto the floor. She can run the offense, find pockets to score in, and communicate on defense.

Henderson is the floor general that this franchise needs. She also can play off of Mitchell, who can play combo guard. Both guards can co-exist and work with one another to make this work.