The latest addition to the Fever, Brianna Turner, arrived in Indiana this past week and spoke candidly about what she thinks she can bring to the organization in their pursuit of a championship. While Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston will continue to spearhead the Fever, the rotation players around them could be what elevates Indiana to a title.
New Indiana Fever acquisition could play an underrated role in championship pursuits
Brianna Turner will bolster a Fever roster that already boasts All-Stars like Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston.
Photo by Stephen Greathouse/NBAE via Getty Images
Noa Dalzell is a senior writer covering the WNBA and all of women’s basketball for Breakaway, SB Nation’s women’s sports vertical, as well as the Celtics for CelticsBlog.
“I think I’m a calming presence,” Turner said, per the Fever. “I feel like I never get too high, never get too low…but I am really competitive as well. I like to run the floor, like to play defense, like to win. And I think the Fever was the place to be if I wanted to win.”
An elite defender, she’ll instantly be able to elevate the Fever’s defense, which ranked near the bottom of the league last season. That defense is sure to improve this year, with strong defensive players like DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard joining the roster in free agency. New Fever head coach Stephanie White also brings a strong defensive mindset; her Connecticut Sun teams routinely ranked near the top of the league defensively.
Turner, a 6’3 power forward, was twice named to the WNBA All-Defensive First Team (in 2020 and 2021) and was a member of the All-Rookie team in 2019.
While she’s expected to come off the bench for Indiana, her defensive strengths should nonetheless elevate the Fever as they pursue a championship.
How Brianna Turner got here
The 28-year-old veteran most recently played for the Chicago Sky, where she came off the bench and averaged 9.4 minutes per game. Before that, she spent 5 years with the Phoenix Mercury, where she was a starter for most of her career.
For her career, Turner has averaged 4.6 points and 6.3 rebounds on 58.3% shooting in 24.6 minutes per game. She was a free agent this winter and opted to sign a 1-year, $85,000 contract with the Fever, who had already added key pieces after their first postseason appearance in 7 years.
Turned arrived in Indianapolis last week, and the Fever released footage of Turner working out alongside Clark soon after.
Where the Indiana Fever are entering next season
Indiana is coming off a 20-20 season that saw them make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
The club was led by Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, who was named to the All-WNBA First Team after averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds on the year. Kelsey Mitchell, the organization’s longest-tenured player, also had a career year — averaging 19.2 points and shooting 40.2% from three. Aliyah Boston, who was the Fever’s Rookie of the Year the prior, averaged 14 points and 98.9 rebounds.
This offseason, Indiana added veteran guard Sydney Colson via free agency from the Las Vegas Aces, DeWanna Bonner via free agency from the Connecticut Sun, Natasha Howard via free agency from the Dallas Wings, and Sophie Cunningham via trade from the Phoenix Mercury.
“The front office and the staff just really had a vision in place,” Turner said. “And I felt that I could really compliment their vision.”
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