If defenses win championships, then the Indiana Fever are in serious trouble. Despite having issues limiting the opponent's production all year long, head coach Stephanie White has yet to uncover an answer to their biggest problem.
Offensively, the Fever can carve up any opposition they face with a smooth style of play. Caitlin Clark's ability to thread a pass into the tightest of spaces provides Indiana with an elite playmaking option that few franchises can boast. And that's before we mention her ridiculous range of shooting.
However, a player with Clark's offensive capacity comes with her frailties. Defensively, the young superstar fails to make a significant impact. This is hardly new information for the Fever, and they have had several offseasons with Clark on the roster to address this issue, but have failed to recruit an elite defensive stalwart who can move the needle in the team's title ambitions.
Caitlin Clark shouldn't bear all the weight of Indiana's defensive inefficiencies; Kelsey Mitchell is another star who wields immense offensive power but doesn't add much on the other end of the floor. Stephanie White has been aware of this issue throughout her tenure and has failed to address it.
Indiana must find a way to tighten up defensively
Despite already securing a postseason spot and sitting fourth in the regular-season standings, the Indiana Fever's defensive rating is a sight for sore eyes. The team ranks 11th overall in this statistic, with a worrying rating of 109.2.
Just to add a little perspective, the Connecticut Sun -- a team that has recorded just 10 wins for the season -- have a better defensive rating (108.9) than Indiana.
At this point in the season, there is little that the Fever can do to fix such an obvious problem. The trade window has slammed shut, and there are no options on the free-agent market that could make a considerable difference to the team's woes.
Stephanie White could take a chance on Raven Johnson
Of course, Stephanie White could increase Raven Johnson's role in the rotation as a last-gasp attempt to find stability, but that decision would carry huge risk given the rookie's lack of postseason experience.
During Johnson's time at South Carolina, Dawn Staley trusted her to be a general in a system built on stability and teamwork. Throughout her college career, Johnson averaged 1.5 steals per game, but consistently disrupted her opponents' offensive game plans with relentless hustle and defensive intelligence.
While the 23-year-old might have struggled to show her prowess on that side of the ball during her professional career, she could be the exact profile of player that Stephanie White and the Fever are desperate to uncover.
The Indiana Fever are now left with few options to fix a problem that could derail their entire championship tilt. Outscoring opponents in the regular season might be fun to watch; however, it takes a cohesive defensive unit to be successful in the postseason, and the Fever have failed to show that they are capable of limiting the opposition's production.
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