Indiana Fever

The Indiana Fever is a professional women's basketball team that plays in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Their first season of play in the WNBA was in 2000. The team is the sister team of the Indiana Pacers.

Franchise history

Since their inaugural season in 2000, the Indiana Fever have had a fast start as a WNBA franchise. In their first two seasons, they were coached by women's basketball legends Anne Donovan and Nell Fortner. Lead by center Kara Wolters, their inaugural campaign was a losing one but they had high expectations after drafting University of Tennessee star Tamika Catchings in 2001. However, Catchings was injured for the entire season and the Fever missed the playoffs yet again.

Related Topics:
Kara Wolters - University of Tennessee - Tamika Catchings

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The 2002 season proved to be the breakout season for both the Fever and Tamika Catchings. Catchings proved to be one of the most versatile players in the WNBA, easily winning rookie of the year honors as well as making the WNBA All-Star team. The Fever would make their first playoff appearance in franchise history that year.

Related Topics:
2002 - Rookie of the year - WNBA All-Star team

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The seasons following the 2002 campaign were seasons of transition for the Fever. The team added Olympian Natalie Williams and Charlotte Sting star Kelly Miller before the 2003 season. Despite lofty expectations, the team failed to make the playoffs in 2003, leading to the resignation of original coach and GM Nell Fortner. Lead by new coach Brian Winters, they did not make the playoffs in 2004, but in 2005, they earned their first playoff series win over the New York Liberty, the team that had defeated them in the first round of the 2002 playoffs.

Related Topics:
Natalie Williams - Charlotte Sting - Kelly Miller - 2003 - Nell Fortner - 2004 - New York Liberty

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~