The Fever have advanced to the WNBA playoffs over the last four seasons. But, in each of the last three years, it has been the three-time defending East champion Shock who have sent them home. Now, the Fever are hoping the addition of two stars can help shoot them to their first title in franchise history.
Center Yolanda Griffith and guard Tamecka Dixon put the ink on contracts with the Fever this off-season. Griffith, a former MVP and seven-time All-Star, has announced this will be her final season after spending the last 11 years as one of the league’s most dominating inside presences. Dixon, a three-time All-Star who is 21st on the all-time scoring list with 3,368 points, has been with the WNBA since its inception. Both ladies also have championship rings, which could translate into valuable knowledge for their teammates.
Griffith and Dixon are to the Fever this season what guard Katie Douglas was to them in 2008 – a big-name off-season acquisition. Douglas returns to the shooting guard spot, where she poured on over 15 points and grabbed four boards a night for Indiana. She’ll again be working side-by-side with point guard Tully Bevilaqua, a crafty ball handler who ranks perennially among the league leaders in steals.
Another area of the floor second-year Fever head coach Lin Dunn has little to worry about is down low, especially with the addition of Griffith. Forwards Tamika Catchings, a five-time All-Star and member of the WNBA All-Decade Team, and Ebony Hoffman, the 2008 Most Improved Player, return to provide big bodies outside the paint, while center Tammy Sutton-Brown uses her 6-foot-4-inch, 199-pound frame to guard the basket. Catchings, Hoffman and Sutton-Brown each averaged over 10 points and six rebounds a game last season.
The Fever, led by that trio, were among the best defensive teams in the league in 2008, surrendering just over 72 points a game, third best overall. They also ranked first in steals (9.53) and second in blocked shots (4.85) per game.
Off the bench, Dunn will lean heavily on guards Tan White and Erica White and forward Khadijah Whittington. Tan White, the second overall pick in the 2005 draft by the Fever, started 22 games last season, averaging 9.9 points per game. Erica White was picked up in the Houston Comets’ Dispersal Draft and spent last year learning the guard spot under Dixon. Dunn will have to find playing time for both ladies as Dixon, Douglas and Bevilaqua will get a majority of the minutes. Whittington, meanwhile, appeared in 22 games during her freshman season, displaying a toughness that had led some to compare her to Catchings.
Indiana also added depth in the draft, selecting guard Briann January out of Arizona State with the sixth-overall pick. Dunn believes January is the Fever’s point guard of the future with Bevilaqua’s career winding down at the age of 36. The Fever also added forward Christina Wirth (Vanderbilt) and center Danielle Campbell (Purdue) in the second and third rounds.
If history repeats itself, the Fever will put together another solid year and be back in the playoffs. But if Dunn has found the right combination of veteran players and young blood, this year’s team could alter their historical path and potentially bring home a title.
With this roster, it wouldn’t be too shocking.
Griffith, who spent the first nine years of her career in Sacramento and last year in Seattle, has said she’s hanging up her high tops after this season. There would be no better way for her to say goodbye than with another ring to add to her jewelry box.
The Chicago native has amassed a resume that rivals any of the top stars in WNBA history: seven All-Star appearances; 1999 MVP; member of the WNBA All-Decade team. Her name also appears near the top of numerous WNBA all-time categories – points (6th), rebounds (2nd), steals (4th) and blocks (8th). Known more for her defense, Griffith ranks among the top centers ever to play in the WNBA.
Indiana will count on Griffith to provide veteran leadership and a strong presence around the basket; any points she can contribute will be an added bonus. Her numbers may seem like they’re on the decline, but so are her minutes. Simply put: Throw her in there and she’ll contribute.
The Fever need Griffith to get out of their playoff rut. Griffith needs them to help her accomplish one final goal.
|
|
RSS Feeds
E-News Sign Up
Print
