The Indiana Fever have signed free agent ahead Natasha Howard, per ESPN’s Alexa Philippou. Howard, a three-time WNBA champion and two-time All-Star, final performed for the Dallas Wings. Now, the high-impact 33-year-old veteran returns to the identical group that first drafted her in 2014.
Breaking: Three-time WNBA champion Natasha Howard will signal with the Indiana Fever as a free agent, sources advised ESPN
The previous DPOY and 2x-time All-Star returns to the franchise that drafted her, bolstering the Fever’s frontcourt and bringing veteran expertise pic.twitter.com/s6foW1MTKU
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) January 31, 2025
What Natasha Howard will deliver to the Indiana Fever
In some ways, Natasha Howard is precisely what the Fever was lacking. Howard is an elite defender — she was named Defensive Participant of the 12 months in 2019 — who ought to instantly elevate an Indiana Fever protection that was among the many league’s worst final season. She’s additionally an outstanding rim-runner who ought to match completely alongside Rookie of the 12 months Caitlin Clark, who broke the per-game help document in her first season within the WNBA. Final season, Howard averaged 17.6 factors, 6.7 rebounds and a couple of.9 assists per recreation.
The transfer to signal Howard is the Fever’s second large splash this week. On Wednesday, Indiana introduced that they had re-signed Kelsey Mitchell, after giving her the core designation earlier this month. Mitchell, a 7-year franchise veteran, is recent off of a profession season that noticed her common 19.2 factors on a career-best 46.8% taking pictures.
Now, Indiana has added a ahead who will additional bolster a frontcourt anchored by 2023 Rookie of the 12 months Aliyah Boston. Howard may also present veteran expertise that was missing on final yr’s roster. The 6’2 ahead has received three WNBA championships — one with the Minnesota Lynx and two with the Seattle Storm. Her enjoying profession additionally included a stint with the New York Liberty.
Because it at present stands, the Fever’s beginning line-up in 2025 is more likely to embody Clark, Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Howard, and Boston. Howard instantly supplies one other dependable double-digit scorer whose play needs to be elevated by the presence of a playmaker the caliber of Clark’s. Alongside Boston, she may also kind a formidable put up presence.
The place the Dallas Wings go from right here
It’s no shock that Howard didn’t re-sign with the Wings. After final season concluded, she posted on social media that she was planning on heading elsewhere after two years in Dallas: “I sit up for this subsequent chapter with a brand new staff and new metropolis.”
Satou Sabally can be anticipated to re-sign elsewhere after spending her complete profession with the Wings up to now. However, because it at present stands, the Wings will return all-time franchise scoring chief Arike Ogunbowale, ahead Maddy Siegrist, guards Jacy Sheldon and Sevgi Uzun, and heart Teaira McCowan. Additionally they have the No. 1 decide within the 2025 WNBA draft, which is extensively anticipated for use to pick UConn guard Paige Bueckers.
However, this iteration of the Dallas Wings roster is more likely to require extra acquisitions to be aggressive with the WNBA’s different playoff groups. Sabally and Howard had been Dallas’s most dependable forwards final season — and the group might want to flip to free company to interchange their contributions.