Indiana
How Fever overcame 5 season-ending injuries to make playoffs: ‘We all we got, we all we need’
Fever coach Stephanie White explains decision to shut Caitlin Clark down for season
Fever coach Stephanie White on how they came to the conclusion to shut Caitlin Clark down for the season and the emotions Clark felt on that decision.
BALTIMORE — When Caitlin Clark got injured, it changed the scope of this Indiana Fever team.
Clark, the 2024 Rookie of the Year and first-team All-WNBA selection, has been the engine that drives the Fever. She smashed multiple league-wide records in her first season, including the WNBA assist record, on the way to leading the Fever to their first postseason appearance in seven years.
She is the Fever’s star, on the court and off. She wills her team to wins and brings in fans from across the world. But she was limited to 13 games this year because of various injuries, including four separate muscle injuries and a bone bruise in her left ankle.
At first, it changed what people thought of the Fever: could they be successful without Clark? Is the season a wash without her?
With or without Clark on the court, the Fever were determined to have a successful season. So, Kelsey Mitchell borrowed a mantra to bring to her team: “We all we got, we all we need.”
“When CC got hurt, I felt like it was deflating,” Mitchell said on Friday night. “It was hard for people to kind of see us and see our energy for what we brought to the table as a team. Hats off to CC for being a great teammate and having to go through so much with injury, but the ‘all we got, all we need’ is a staple to who we trying to be as a team and who we want our culture to be.”
And that mantra only became more relevant as the season went on.
Clark had multiple injuries throughout the season that limited her availability, but the right groin injury that ultimately ended her season came on July 15. A few weeks later, Clark suffered a bone bruise in her left ankle while doing an individual workout on Aug. 7.
That same night, Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson — Indiana’s two backup point guards — suffered season-ending injuries against Phoenix. Ten days after that, Sophie Cunningham tore her MCL and was ruled out for the season. On Aug. 22, Chloe Bibby hurt her knee during pregame warmups and was eventually ruled out for the season too.
It was an unprecedented amount of adversity, having five season-ending injuries over the course of five weeks. But Indiana knew its season wasn’t over. It had to press on.
“I think just being in this locker room, we never doubt ourselves on what we’re capable of, no matter what happens,” Aliyah Boston said Sunday. “I think the entire staff, from the head down, just made great decisions when people went down on who to bring in, the type of people to bring in, and we never doubted ourselves. We never doubted that we could be in the playoffs.”
The Fever had to bring on multiple players on one or two days’ notice. Odyssey Sims joined the Fever on Aug. 10, getting one practice before playing in a game for the first time. Shey Peddy, who joined the team on Aug. 20, had two practices before playing her first game. Aerial Powers signed with the team on Aug. 23, getting just a morning shootaround before checking in for the first time.
All three of those players have become key rotational players for the Fever, and Sims is Indiana’s starting point guard. And that “We all we got, we all we need” mantra became an energizer for the Fever, especially for the players who joined midseason.
“Coming in, the first thing that really made me like, woah, was Kelsey goes during guard shootaround, ‘We all we got, we all we need,’” Powers said. “And right then and there I was like, ‘Yep, I felt it already.’ Coming in and feeling the grit, the grind that the team has, top to bottom, and being able to insert myself, it’s been amazing.”
It showed them, at the base level, how Indiana was never going to give up even in a time of unprecedented hardship. The Fever built their culture to fight, no matter who is or isn’t on the court.
“We can’t help the ones that aren’t here, which is unfortunate, but we can help the ones who are, and be present about that and not disrespect the game,” Mitchell said. “I would like to think that CC, Aari, Syd would want to play and be in our shoes. So I think the ‘We all we got, we all we need’ is a respect thing, but to put it in the air that we all we got and we all we need, because that’s how it is, and that’s how it’s always been.”
That culture, that mantra culminated in a playoff berth for Indiana. The Fever will be no lower than the No. 7 seed in the playoffs, and could move up to six if they beat the Lynx on Tuesday and Golden State loses each of its final two games.
Indiana’s season hasn’t been what anyone expected, from the coaching staff, to the players, to the fans. But it still shows an upward trajectory for the Fever, who have now made the playoffs for two straight seasons after missing it for seven straight from 2017-23.
It’s a change in culture for Indiana, a will to fight even when it seems like all hope is lost. The Fever will bring four players on hardship waivers into the playoffs, but they’re not counting themselves out of anything.
“When you can go through and grow through these types of experiences, it lays a foundation for championship culture and championship mindset,” Fever coach Steph White said. “That’s our ultimate goal, to be able to take it one day at a time, to be able to put ourselves in a position to be in the playoffs, and now a mindset of finishing the regular season and then make a noise in the playoffs.”
Indiana’s playoff opponent hasn’t yet been determined. The Fever have one more regular season game against the Lynx on Tuesday, then will tip off the playoffs on the road on Sept. 14.
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Indiana
Indiana police find semi trailer loaded up with nearly 400 pounds of cocaine: troopers
CLOVERDALE, Ind. (WKRC) – Authorities in Indiana found a semi trailer loaded up with hundreds of pounds of suspected cocaine.
According to a statement issued by the Indiana State Police (ISP), 27-year-old Harmandeep Singh of Bakersfield, California was taken into custody after nearly 400 pounds of suspected cocaine were reportedly found in the trailer of a commercial truck.
Per the statement, an ISP trooper seized the suspected cocaine during a traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Putnam County, authorities said.
The stop occurred Tuesday morning near the 37-mile marker, just east of Cloverdale, after a commercial motor vehicle was observed exceeding the posted speed limit.
Police said Singh displayed several indicators of possible criminal activity during the encounter. After obtaining consent to search the vehicle, troopers discovered multiple duffel bags and cardboard boxes in the trailer containing approximately 392 pounds (178 kilograms) of suspected cocaine.
Authorities estimated the street value of the drugs at about $9 million.
Singh was taken into custody and taken to the Putnam County Jail, where he is being held on a $30,000 cash bond.
He faces the following preliminary charges, per the post:
- Possession of a narcotic drug
Formal charges will be determined by the Putnam County prosecutor.
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Indiana State Police said drug interdiction remains a priority, with troopers focusing on major highways to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics into the state.
Indiana
Op-ed: Healthy rural communities strengthen all of Indiana
For many Hoosiers living in rural Indiana, accessing health care can mean driving 30 minutes or even an hour to see a doctor or reach the nearest hospital. As workforce shortages and financial pressures challenge rural hospitals across the country, ensuring access to care close to home has become one of the most important health-care issues facing our state.
About one in four Indiana residents live in a rural community, yet access to health-care services in many of these communities continues to shrink. Across the nation, rural hospitals and clinics report extremely thin operating margins and often say workforce shortages and rising costs make it difficult to sustain services such as primary care, maternity care and behavioral health.
When rural communities struggle to maintain health-care access, the impact doesn’t stay confined to small towns. It ripples across the entire health-care system, contributing to increases in chronic conditions, reduced preventative care for children, and worsening outcomes for the sickest patients.
Communities such as Greater Lafayette serve as a regional hub for care, with hospitals like IU Health Arnett caring for patients from surrounding counties across north-central and west-central Indiana. That role is something we are proud to fulfill. But when rural residents must travel long distances for care that should be available closer to home, it places increasing pressure on emergency departments, specialty clinics and inpatient services at larger regional hospitals.
In many cases, what might have been a routine appointment, preventive screening or early diagnosis in a local clinic becomes far more serious by the time a patient reaches a larger hospital. A missed screening can escalate into a medical emergency.
That reality makes strengthening rural health care more important than ever — not just for rural communities, but for the health of the entire state.
One of the most important steps we can take is investing in the next generation of health-care professionals who will care for these communities.
At IU Health, we are working directly with local schools and community partners to help build that workforce pipeline. Across the region, IU Health has partnered with the Greater Lafayette Career Academy and area school districts to introduce students to health-care careers earlier and provide hands-on learning opportunities that bring those careers to life.
Through these programs, students explore health-care pathways and earn certifications such as certified nursing assistant, medical assistant or emergency medical technician while still in high school. Many participate in job shadowing opportunities, clinical experiences and mentorship programs, giving them valuable exposure to the field before they graduate. In fact, since the first cohort in 2023, IU Health has extended job offers to more than 70 students.
The goal is simple but powerful: help students see that meaningful careers in health care exist in their own communities and create pathways that allow them to stay and serve those communities.
For rural health care, this approach is critical. Students who train and develop personal mentorship connections locally are far more likely to remain in the region after completing their education. By helping young people build skills and connections early, we can create a sustainable workforce that strengthens health-care access in both rural communities and regional centers, including Greater Lafayette.
Since launching the $200 million Community Impact Investment Fund in 2018, IU Health has invested more than $40 million in community grants supporting workforce development, education and school-based programs that build Indiana’s health-care talent pipeline. This includes funding for the Indiana Latino Institute, which placed Latino students in health-care internships, supported career pathways, and provided medical interpreter training and college coaching to communities across the state.
Our goal is to make Indiana one of the healthiest states in the nation, and this is one way we work toward that in partnership with our communities.
But workforce development is only part of the solution.
Strengthening rural health care will also require continued collaboration between health-care providers, educators, community leaders and policymakers. Expanding telehealth access, supporting rural hospitals and investing in primary care and behavioral health services are all critical steps toward ensuring patients can receive care close to home.
Greater Lafayette will always play an important role as a regional health-care center, providing specialized care and advanced services for patients across a broad region. But the long-term health of Indiana’s health-care system depends on maintaining strong local access points for care in rural communities.
When rural clinics and hospitals can provide preventive care, manage chronic conditions and connect patients with the services they need early, the entire system works better.
Patients receive care sooner, communities stay healthier and larger hospitals can focus on the complex cases they are designed to treat.
Healthy rural communities do not just benefit the towns where they are. They strengthen Indiana’s entire health-care system by ensuring that every Hoosier — no matter where they live — has access to the care and resources they need to live healthier lives.
When rural health care succeeds, all of Indiana benefits.
Gary Henriott is a lifelong resident of Lafayette and the retired CEO and Chairman of Henriott Group. He is the chair of the IU Health West Region board of directors and the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network, and president of Lafayette’s Board of Public Works and Safety.
Indiana
Indiana mother charged with neglect after baby’s co-sleeping death
INDIANAPOLIS (WKRC) — An Indianapolis mother is now facing criminal charges after her 2-month-old baby died in an apparent improper co-sleeping environment, according to investigators.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX 59/CBS 4, police were called to an area hospital on Sept. 19, 2024, following the death of 27-year-old Brooklyn Davis’ son. The boy had been found unresponsive in his family’s home early that morning, and Davis attempted CPR before he was rushed to the hospital.
The affidavit says the boy had been sleeping on Davis’ bed with his 6-year-old brother. Davis later showed investigators a video showing the baby sleeping chest down on the 6-year-old’s chest.
An autopsy concluded the baby’s cause of death was “sudden explained death of an infant” with an intrinsic factor, which included being “placed to sleep in a queen-sized mattress being shared with a 6-year-old sibling, along with numerous blankets and other miscellaneous items; discovered unresponsive in a prone position with his face turned to the side and partially covered with a blanket.”
A report from the Department of Child Services (DCS) indicated the boy had no known health issues and that Davis ran an FSSA-licensed day care and has “extensive training on child care and safe sleeping environments.”
Davis had been known to DCS prior to the baby’s death. The boy had been born marijuana-positive and, on July 2, 2024, Davis had reportedly signed a “Safe Sleep Safety Plan,” acknowledging she understood that the safest places for her baby to sleep were in a crib, pack-and-play or bassinet and warned that co-sleeping places the baby at risk of suffocation and sleeping areas should be kept free of blankets, pillows and other items. The plan also included a provision that Davis not use marijuana while caring for her children, but she told investigators during an interview that, the morning of her baby’s death, she had gone downstairs to smoke marijuana and left the children alone upstairs.
Davis’ two other children were removed from the home, and interviews with them revealed that co-sleeping with the infant happened often.
Investigators say they attempted to contact Davis several times after talking to her children.
“She called me on February 18, 2025, and said she didn’t do anything wrong, her baby died of SIDS,” the detective wrote in the affidavit. “Brooklyn never came in for an additional interview.”
Court records indicate the case was filed in March 2026. Davis was booked into jail on April 1 on three counts of neglect of a dependent. An initial hearing was held on April 7, and a bail review hearing is planned for Monday.
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