The Indiana Fever has crushed the WNBA offseason thus far. They’ve retained their efficient core of Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Caitlin Clark — and added Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner by way of free company and Sophie Cunningham by way of commerce.
The crew — which might be led by veteran head coach Stephanie White subsequent season — is already poised to contend for a championship.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Alexa Phillippou reported that guard Sydney Colson has additionally joined Indiana — including a two-time champion to a roster that went from having very restricted playoff expertise to a number of gamers with a number of titles (Howard, Bonner, and now, Colson).
Breaking: 2x-time WNBA champion Sydney Colson is signing a one-year cope with the Indiana Fever, her agent, LIFT Sports activities’ Gina Paradiso, instructed ESPN
Colson, who spent the final 3 seasons in Las Vegas, brings veteran pedigree and expertise within the backcourt to a surging Fever squad pic.twitter.com/8SwwsmKPF2
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) February 4, 2025
What Sydney Colson brings to Indiana
Colson received’t make or break the Fever’s season on the courtroom — for her profession, she averages 2.8 factors on 40.4% taking pictures in 10.5 minutes. However, she’s been described as an excellent teammate and nice locker room presence all through her 13-year profession.
At 35, Colson is now not in her prime. However, the 5’8 guard can nonetheless function a dependable backup, and he or she additionally brings along with her the experiences and knowledge from the Las Vegas Aces’ two championship runs. Colson has performed on 4 WNBA groups throughout her tenure and immediately turns into somebody who can present mentorship to the groups’ youthful guards on or off the ground. Colson is also referred to as an elite basketball thoughts — and somebody who’s loved an extended profession regardless of being drafted within the second spherical (by the Connecticut Solar, who then traded her to the New York Liberty on draft evening).
Sydney Colson will profit from the intense lights in Indiana
The transfer is a win for Colson, who will get to contend for a championship on a crew that needs to be now of the few with a legit shot at a title. It’s additionally a win for her given the truth that the variety of eyes on Indiana is huge — Fever video games had been by far probably the most watched video games final season, and the celebrity and pleasure that Caitlin Clark introduced along with her to the WNBA raised the profile of practically all of her teammates final season.
Colson, who has a larger-than-life persona and a really humourous Twitter presence will change into much more well-known amongst extra informal basketball followers as she acclimates to Indiana subsequent season. The transfer ought to present her with a slew of off-court alternatives down the street as nicely — ones she was most likely headed towards in any case, however nonetheless might be bolstered by enjoying on probably the most watched crew in girls’s basketball. M
Lots of Clark’s teammates have change into extra well-known (and beloved) partially on account of being on the celebrity’s crew, with gamers like Lexie Hull and Kate Martin each demonstrating that phenomenon. Each gamers turned fan favorites on their very own accord and largely attributable to their spectacular on-court play — however enjoying for Iowa and the Fever, respectively, merely ensured they’d be uncovered to a a lot bigger viewers of potential supporters.
Followers jokingly consult with Colson because the “face of the WNBA” and Colson has additionally been probably the most well-known gamers to play in Athletes Limitless, a month-long skilled girls’s basketball league that takes place within the WNBA offseason.
As such, the free company signing is a win for each Colson and the Indiana Fever. The one ones it’s most likely not a win for? The Las Vegas Aces, who loved nice locker room chemistry camaraderie all through their previous few seasons.
Sydney Colson is a good pal of three-time MVP A’ja Wilson and was a locker-room staple all through each of the Aces’ championship runs. The Aces have already shaken up final yr’s roster fairly a bit, most notably swapping Kelsey Plum for Jewell Loyd. However, this transfer eliminates one more participant from an Aces roster that noticed nice success.
