Rachel DeMita isn't hedging on the 2026 Indiana Fever. The WNBA analyst said that the 2026 season is a "championship or bust" year for the franchise.

DeMita argued that while everyone is focusing on the Minnesota Lynx and Las Vegas Aces, no one should sleep on Indiana.

"There's been a lot of focus on the Lynx, which there should be; they've been great. There's been a lot of focus on the Aces obviously because they're the reigning champs, but like I wanted to give some flowers to the Fever because, like, don't be shocked. Some people will be shocked, but don't be shocked if the Fever win this year. I think it's championship or bust for the Fever," DeMita said.

DeMita made this claim on her Aug. 22 Courtside Club podcast just one day after the Fever saw their five-game winning streak end with a 91-85 loss to the Dallas Wings. There's a solid reason for this.

Despite the setback against Dallas, Indiana remains well-positioned for a deep postseason run.

Sitting in fourth place in the WNBA standings with a 24-13 record after that game, the Fever officially secured their spot in the 2026 WNBA playoffs when the ninth-seeded Portland Fire fell 82-79 to the Toronto Tempo.

With that, Indiana became the fourth team to lock up a playoff berth this season, joining the Minnesota Lynx, Golden State Valkyries, and Las Vegas Aces.

But the biggest reason for this belief comes from their elite Big Three

Point guard Caitlin Clark ranks third in the league in scoring at 21.7 points per game, but her passing is what truly changes games. She leads the WNBA with 8.3 assists per game and 3.8 rebounds.

Next to her, Kelsey Mitchell is having a career-best scoring year. Mitchell ranks second in the league in scoring at 24.6 points per game while adding 2.7 assists and 1.7 rebounds.

And Aliyah Boston continues to be the force in the middle, averaging 16.9 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

But it doesn't stop with the top three, either. Sophie Cunningham has become a legitimate momentum-swinger off the bench. Lexie Hull, Myisha Hines-Allen, and the rest of the rotation give coach Stephanie White pieces to plug in depending on the matchup.

It has been 14 long years since the Indiana Fever last won a WNBA championship back in 2012.

With six regular-season games remaining before the playoffs begin, DeMita believes this core has built something real. And anything short of a trophy will feel like a missed opportunity.

Written by

Md Saife Fida