Stephanie White Highlights Issue Fever Must Meet with 'Urgency'

Offense wasn't an issue for the Indiana Fever in their season opener against the Dallas Wings.

The star trio of Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark combined for 73 of Indiana's 104 points Saturday, but it wasn't enough to overcome a troubling showing on the defensive end. Dallas poured in a weekend-high 107 points to spoil the Fever's home opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

"We're not going to be able to outscore teams in this league. Everybody's too good," coach Stephanie White proclaimed postgame. "We've just got to be better. We know that. And the good thing is that it's all correctable."

The Wings shot 59.1 percent from the field -- their best clip since Sept. 8, 2023 -- and 52.2 percent from distance. They also dictated transition, typically a strength for the Fever.

Dallas racked up 25 points in transition, a single-game mark that was only reached eight times across 286 games last season. White highlighted transition defense as a specific focus at practice Monday.

"We've got to be better at getting matched up in transition, of getting back in transition, and not giving up so many easy looks."

Fever must 'lock in' to transition defense

Dallas finished with the fifth-worst offense in the WNBA last season and ranked third-worst in field-goal efficiency. A much-improved Wings squad, headlined by reigning Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers, figures to be far more dangerous in 2026, but that doesn't excuse a sloppy defensive performance from Indiana.

WNBA teams only matched or exceeded 107 points five times in regulation in 2025. Opening-game rust aside, the Fever can't get by without tightening up the transition defense -- regardless of opponent.

"I think there's just an urgency to transition from offense to defense," White explained. "Sometimes it was too busy looking at the refs. Sometimes it was pressuring the ball in the backcourt with multiple players instead of one. Sometimes it was taking chances in the backcourt. And sometimes they just beat us down the floor."

The Fever excel at that urgency offensively. Few teams are more dangerous at running the floor, especially when the ball is in Clark's hands. The shoe was on the other foot Saturday, as Indiana struggled to contain an aggressive Wings team.

"We've got to be able to transition our bodies and our minds quickly from one to the other," White said. "We don't have a problem doing it on the offensive end. So we've gotta lock in to doing it on the defensive end."

A healthy Monique Billings could help on that front. The 6-foot-4 forward, added by the Fever in free agency this offseason, missed the season opener with an ankle injury. The 30-year-old participated in practice Monday, though her status for Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Sparks remains uncertain.

White also confirmed Monday that one of Indiana's top defenders, Lexie Hull, is still on a minutes restriction after dealing with a hamstring injury in the preseason. Hull played 14:55 off the bench against Dallas on Saturday.

A fully healthy Hull should make for an improved defensive product, though White didn't entertain any excuses.

"When you score 104 points, you gotta win the game. We gave up 107, so we need to focus on our defense."

That message rings loud and clear as the Fever enter a stretch of three games in five days.

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