History of Indiana Fever in Timeline

The Indiana Fever are a professional women's basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, competing in the WNBA's Eastern Conference. Founded in 2000, the team is owned by Herb Simon, who also owns the Indiana Pacers. They represent Indianapolis in the WNBA.

June 7, 1999: WNBA Announces Indiana Expansion Team

On June 7, 1999, the WNBA announced that Indiana would be one of four locations for expansion teams. The state was granted an expansion franchise to coincide with the opening of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

2000: Chris Denari Becomes Play-by-Play Announcer

In 2000, Chris Denari became the Play-by-Play Announcer for the Indiana Fever.

2000: Indiana Fever Founded

In 2000, the Indiana Fever were founded as a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis to compete in the WNBA. The team is owned by Herb Simon.

2001: Catchings Drafted but Injured

In 2001, the Fever drafted Tamika Catchings, but she tore her ACL during a college game and missed the entire WNBA season.

2002: Offseason Changes

During the 2002 offseason, the Fever added Natalie Williams and Kelly Miller to their roster, enhancing their team composition for the upcoming season.

2002: Catchings Wins Rookie of the Year

In 2002, Tamika Catchings had a breakout season, winning Rookie of the Year honors and making the WNBA All-Star team. The Fever made their first playoff appearance but lost to the Liberty.

2002: Catchings Franchise Player

In 2002, Tamika Catchings had been known as the Fever's franchise player.

May 29, 2003: First Sellout Game

On May 29, 2003, the Fever registered their first sellout with 18,345 attendees and defeated the Washington Mystics on national television.

2003: Similar Season

The 2003 campaign was very similar to 2004's for the Indiana Fever.

2004: Missed Playoffs

In 2004, the Fever finished with a 15–19 record and missed the playoffs by one game in the Eastern Conference.

2005: Acquisition of All-Star Anna DeForge

During the 2005 offseason, the Fever acquired All-Star Anna DeForge from the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Kelly Miller.

2005: Best Season and Playoff Series Victory

In 2005, the Fever had their best season, posting a 21–13 record and making the playoffs for the second time. They swept the Liberty, earning their first playoff series victory.

2006: Off-season focus on post play

Going into the 2006-2007 off-season, the Fever looked to improve their post play by adding veteran forward Sheri Sam from the Charlotte Sting in the Dispersal Draft.

2006: Playoff Loss to Detroit

In 2006, despite a strong start and a 21–13 record, the Fever lost to Detroit in the first round of the playoffs. Tamika Whitmore scored a WNBA Playoff record 41 points in Game 2.

2006: WNBA Draft Selections

In the 2006 WNBA draft, the Fever selected La'Tangela Atkinson and Kasha Terry, adding new talent to their roster.

March 22, 2007: Tammy Sutton-Brown Signed as Free Agent

On March 22, 2007, the Fever signed key free agent center Tammy Sutton-Brown, bolstering their roster for the upcoming season.

October 26, 2007: Brian Winters' Option Declined

On October 26, 2007, the Fever announced that they declined the option for head coach Brian Winters, ending his four-year tenure.

December 12, 2007: Lin Dunn Named Head Coach

On December 12, 2007, assistant coach Lin Dunn was named the successor to Brian Winters as head coach of the Fever.

2007: Playoff Loss After Catchings Injury

In 2007, despite a strong start, the Fever lost in the Eastern Conference Finals after Tamika Catchings injured her foot. They had a historic 22-point comeback in the first round against Connecticut Sun.

February 19, 2008: Trade for Katie Douglas

On February 19, 2008, in a significant trade, the Fever acquired Katie Douglas for Tamika Whitmore and their first-round pick in the 2008 WNBA draft.

July 19, 2008: Liberty Outdoor Classic

On July 19, 2008, the Fever participated in the Liberty Outdoor Classic, the first regular-season professional basketball game played outdoors, winning against the New York Liberty 71–55 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

2008: Disappointing Season

After a disappointing 2008 season, Indiana Pacers owners expressed the need for the Fever to succeed on the court and at the box office to avoid folding in the near future.

2008: Playoff Loss to Detroit

In 2008, the Fever struggled, finishing with a 17–17 record and losing to the Detroit Shock in the first round of the playoffs.

2009: Fever to remain in Indianapolis

Because of the success in 2009, the Fever announced they would remain in Indianapolis for 2010.

2009: Reached WNBA Finals

In 2009, the Fever reached the WNBA Finals after a successful season, but lost to the Phoenix Mercury in 5 games.

2010: Confirmed 2010 season in Indianapolis

In 2010, the Fever's season in Indianapolis was confirmed to proceed as planned.

2011: Confirmed 2011 season in Indianapolis

In 2011, the Fever's season in Indianapolis was confirmed to proceed as planned.

2012: Krauskopf Promoted

After winning the 2012 WNBA championship, general manager Kelly Krauskopf was promoted to president of the franchise.

2012: Lin Dunn guided Fever to WNBA title

In 2012, Lin Dunn, the former Fever coach, guided the team to a WNBA title.

2012: WNBA Championship

In 2012, the Fever won their first WNBA title, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 3 games to 1.

2015: Reached Finals Again

In 2015, the Fever reached the WNBA Finals for the third time but lost to the Minnesota Lynx.

November 18, 2016: Pokey Chatman Hired as Head Coach

On November 18, 2016, the Fever hired Pokey Chatman as their new head coach.

2016: Playoff Loss and Catchings's Retirement

In 2016, the Fever made it to the playoffs for the 12th consecutive time but were upset in the first round. This game also marked the final game of Tamika Catchings's playing career.

2016: Last Playoff Appearance

In 2016, the Fever made their last playoff appearance before the 2024 season.

February 2017: Trade for Candice Dupree

In February 2017, the Fever traded for Candice Dupree in a three-team deal.

August 12, 2017: Record Defeat

On August 12, 2017, the Fever suffered a historic 111–52 defeat by the Minnesota Lynx, the largest margin of defeat in WNBA history.

2017: Chris Denari Steps Down

In 2017, Chris Denari stepped down from his position as the Play-by-Play Announcer for the Indiana Fever after serving since 2000.

2018: Last Place Finish

In 2018, the Fever finished in last place with a 6–28 record as they rebuilt their team.

March 4, 2019: Allison Barber Named President and COO

On March 4, 2019, Allison Barber was announced as the new president and chief operating officer of the Fever, while Tamika Catchings was named vice president of Fever Basketball Operations.

November 27, 2019: Marianne Stanley Introduced as Head Coach

On November 27, 2019, Marianne Stanley was introduced as the head coach of the Indiana Fever, and Tamika Catchings was promoted to general manager.

2019: Move to Hinkle Fieldhouse Announced

Near the end of 2019, the Indiana Fever announced they would move home games to Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, and part of 2022, due to renovations at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

2020: 2020 Season in IMG Academy

In 2020, the Indiana Fever's WNBA season was played in IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021: Home Games Split Between Arenas

During the 2021 season, the Indiana Fever played their first four home games at Bankers Life Fieldhouse before moving to Indiana Farmers Coliseum for the remainder of their home games.

February 14, 2022: Tamika Catchings Steps Down

On February 14, 2022, Tamika Catchings stepped down from her position as the vice president of basketball operations and general manager of the Indiana Fever.

February 24, 2022: Lin Dunn Named Interim General Manager

On February 24, 2022, Lin Dunn, former Fever coach, was introduced as the franchise’s interim general manager and senior advisor for Fever basketball operations.

2022: Partial Season at Hinkle Fieldhouse

In 2022, the Indiana Fever played at least part of their season at Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse to accommodate renovations of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

2022: Struggling Season

The Indiana Fever struggled in 2022, earning the top WNBA draft pick in the following season.

2023: Drafting Aliyah Boston

In 2023, the Indiana Fever chose South Carolina's Aliyah Boston with their first overall pick in the WNBA draft.

October 27, 2024: Parting Ways with Head Coach Christie Sides

On October 27, 2024, the Indiana Fever announced they had parted ways with head coach Christie Sides. Sides' tenure with the team resulted in a 33-47 record, including a 20-20 record for the 2024 season.

November 1, 2024: Stephanie White Returns as Head Coach

On November 1, 2024, the Indiana Fever announced that Stephanie White would be returning to the organization as head coach.

2024: Drafting Caitlin Clark

In 2024, the Indiana Fever drafted Iowa's Caitlin Clark first overall, leading to a surge of interest in the team and the WNBA. The TV ratings for the 2024 WNBA draft overshadowed actual games played over the prior 25 seasons.

2024: Turnaround Season and Playoff Appearance

In 2024, with Caitlin Clark on the roster, the Fever had a dramatic turnaround, going 20–20 and making their first playoff appearance since 2016. Clark averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, a league-leading number. They also drew strongly on the road and the Caitlin Clark effect saw the Fever set virtually all of the new WNBA television records. The sixth-seeded Fever fell to the Connecticut Sun in a two-game playoff sweep.