The 2025 season hasn’t been going well for the Fever so far. After a big offseason that saw several championship veterans join the Fever, Indiana is not performing nearly as well as expected. The Fever were supposed to be one of the top teams in the league, the biggest threat to the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx.
Instead, the Fever don’t even hold a playoff spot at the moment. Even the Golden State Valkyries and Washington Mystics have better records than the Fever, and the Phoenix Mercury emerged as the biggest challenge to the Liberty and Lynx.
The season has been full of disappointments. Caitlin Clark’s lengthy injury and recent shooting struggles, and the drama around DeWanna Bonner dominated the headlines. Another big disappointment has flown under the radar. Natasha Howard hasn’t had the impact the Fever imagined she would when they signed her.
Natasha Howard is having a down season
Natasha Howard is a former Defensive Player of the Year and MVP candidate. With the Fever, she hasn’t been her best self yet. Howard is currently averaging 10.8 points and 6.3 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game. Those numbers mark a steep drop-off all across the board.
The last time Howard averaged fewer than ten points was the Covid-shortened 2020 season. She also hasn’t averaged fewer rebounds, assists, and steals than this season since 2017. Howard has already recorded fewer than ten points in seven games this season. Last year, she only missed the ten-point mark twice in the season.
Before the season, Howard boldly proclaimed that she wanted to make a play for the MVP and DPOY awards. That has not happened yet. Instead, Howard has been rather quiet all season long apart from a 26-point performance in a rare win over the Atlanta Dream.
Howard’s play has not been the biggest disappointment of the season, but she has also not lived up to expectations.
The Fever’s offseason additions haven’t lived up to expectations
When the Fever added DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sydney Colson, and Sophie Cunningham, the excitement was big. Those additions seemed enough to take the Fever to the next level. Fifteen games into the season, Bonner isn’t with the team anymore, Colson may lose her spot in the rotation to Aari McDonald, and Howard has been mediocre with a few exceptions. Cunningham is the only one who is actually playing her role the way Fever fans imagined. Her popularity has skyrocketed.
The Fever may have missed on some of their big offseason additions, but there have still been some bright spots. Lexie Hull is thriving and Aliyah Boston is expanding her game. There is still time for the Fever to turn things around.