WNBA insider gives three key reasons why Natasha Howard is a 'perfect fit' on Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever

The Indiana Fever already have a superstar to build their team around. After watching Caitlin Clark dominate in her rookie WNBA season, it became more than evident that they were ready to make a splash right away, not in the future.

That's why they got to work in the offseason, adding the likes of DeWanna Bonner, Sydney Colson and Natasha Howard.

Howard, who will be returning for her second stint in Indianapolis, might be the biggest difference-maker of the group, says Chloe Peterson of the Indy Star.

In her latest column, she dug deep into Howard's potential impact on the organization. First, she cited her championship experience and mentality:

"She knows the fine line of pushing her teammates to be better without being overbearing, and she knows how to be a good teammate," wrote Peterson.

Then, she also believes that her familiarity with the front office will make this a smooth transition, as she's already familiar with Lin Dunn, Stephanie White and Kelly Krauskopf:

"Krauskopf, who was the Fever's president from 2000-18, then returned following the 2024 season, was the one to draft Howard out of Florida State with the Fever's No. 5 pick in the 2014 draft.

"Howard came into a system that had Lin Dunn, who is still with the Fever as a senior advisor, as the head coach and current head coach Stephanie White as an assistant," the report continued.

Last, but not the least, Peterson also talked about Howard's strong yet enticing off-court personality, which Krauskopf claimed was another reason to pursue her:

"This day for us, really, is about welcoming back a player that we drafted," Krauskopf said. "And Lin Dunn and I, probably about 11 years ago, went to have a meeting with her at the ACC tournament before we drafted her, and thought this is not only a tremendous player, but tremendous person."

Indiana Fever isn't messing around

The Indiana Fever is doing everything it can to become a marquee name in the WNBA. Besides getting their franchise superstar in Caitlin Clark, they've announced their plans to build a state-of-the-art practice facility.

While some of the moves they've made in free agency might be short-term signings, the front office is sending the right message by being aggressive. They honestly believe that they can make a championship run right now.

Clark might break even more records with her assist numbers in 2025 with this much-improved supporting cast, and this is just the beginning of a very bright future in Indianapolis.