Stephanie White has made it clear that the Indiana Fever's frontcourt needs to step up, and with Angel Reese coming to town, the timing of that message could not be more deliberate.

The Fever head coach addressed the media after Indiana's June 3 practice session, speaking to reporters through a YouTube video posted by Tony East. White laid out exactly what she wants from her bigs in upcoming games.

"We need more boards. We need more rebounding. But that has to come from the guards, too. That has to be a collective effort. Oftentimes, the bigs are occupied with keeping the other bigs off the glass. I'd like to see a little more off-ball cutting. And getting out of screens quicker."

When looking at who Indiana is prepping for, the urgency behind these words comes to light. Currently, Reese leads the entire WNBA with 11.3 rebounds per game, and excels on the offensive glass, giving the Atlanta Dream multiple second-chance scoring opportunities.

White's message is especially timely for the Fever. Indiana comes into this game at 4-4 with two back-to-back losses, while the franchise deals with the aftermath of a highly publicized clip of White on the sidelines with Caitlin Clark during their last game against the Portland Fire, which has drawn a lot of external criticism.

With that controversy now largely behind them, the Fever can redirect their energy toward solving a genuine basketball problem. Boston and Billings must box Reese out effectively, while guards crashing the boards become critical as the frontcourt's attention will be consumed by containing Reese.

But the rebounding battle is not the only frontcourt concern White is managing right now.

Damiris Dantas Absence Adds Another Layer to Indiana's Frontcourt Trouble

The Fever's frontcourt depth took a hit this week as veteran forward Damiris Dantas missed two consecutive practices, prompting White to address her absence with reporters directly.

"It's day to day, right now, with DD. She's dealing with some personal stuff, and we want to give her the time that she needs to be able to deal with that," White said.

Dantas has appeared in four games this season, averaging 4 points and 1 rebound, but her real value is what she provides off the stat sheet. White often utilized her to spell Aliyah Boston. Additionally, her capability to stretch defenses made her a reliable rotation piece.

Dantas' absence, even if only short-term, is harmful to a frontcourt that was already shallow before the Commissioner's Cup against a strong, 5-2 Atlanta team currently led by the number one rebounder in the league, Angel Reese.

Comment down who you think wins when the Fever faces the Dream with no Dantas available?

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Utsav Gupta