Indiana Fever should trade for Becky Hammon. If that fails, call Niele Ivey and Teri Moren

Simply whenever you suppose the Indiana Fever have discovered the underside, they maintain digging deeper, making an attempt to determine simply how low they’ll go. It wasn’t way back that the franchise was one of many premiere WNBA franchises. Tamika Catchings was among the best gamers within the league. She had a strong core round her. Lin Dunn and Stephanie White pressed the suitable buttons. They made the WNBA finals thrice in seven years, taking residence a championship trophy.

Then Catchings retired. White left for Vanderbilt. Pokey Chatman got here in as GM and coach, and the losses mounted. Chatman bought fired. Catchings got here again as normal supervisor, and the losses continued. Marianne Stanley got here in. Catchings resigned. Lin Dunn got here in to attempt to put the items again collectively. She fired Stanley 9 video games into the 2022 season. Carlos Knox was named interim coach. The crew introduced that he received’t be retained subsequent season.

The Fever are an unmitigated catastrophe. 

Since 2017, they’ve been the worst skilled crew in North American sports activities. They’ve some good items — NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo, each top-10 draft picks in 2022, had been WNBA All-Rookie choices — however the crew is additional than ever from relevancy, not to mention competition.

There’s one one who can repair that, and he or she received’t see a single minute on the ground. The Fever must commerce for Becky Hammon.

Becky Hammon is not coming, however the Fever ought to name anyway

Becky Hammon isn’t coming to Indiana. She signed a five-year contract with the Las Vegas Aces in January after being spurned by NBA groups for head teaching jobs — together with the Indiana Pacers. She’s the highest-paid WNBA coach, and was not too long ago named the WNBA Coach of the 12 months after she led the Aces to a 26-10 report and a No. 1 seed within the playoffs. 

She isn’t going wherever. The Fever must go get her. That not often occurs in skilled sports activities nevertheless it has been accomplished earlier than. In 2015, the Boston Celtics traded Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers for a first-round choose. The 12 months earlier than, the Nets despatched Jason Kidd to the Bucks for 2 second-round picks. 

A coach can’t be traded for gamers. The Fever couldn’t provide to ship Las Vegas a bundle that included NaLyssa Smith and Queen Egbo. They’ll solely ship draft picks and money. The Indiana Fever have a 44% likelihood of getting the highest choose within the 2023 WNBA Draft, have one other first-round choose from the Chicago Sky, and an additional second-round choose from Phoenix. 

Are these picks, or any variety of future picks, or any affordable amount of money, sufficient to get the Aces to provide Hammon up? No. However that’s not the purpose.

The purpose is that this: The Fever want somebody to place this franchise on the suitable course and inject some life right into a crew that’s clamoring for any little bit of hope. Catchings couldn’t do it. Stanley couldn’t do it. Knox couldn’t do it. The jury continues to be out on Dunn, however she’s bought to get this transfer proper.

Pulling the set off on one thing as drastic as a Hammon commerce can be a blaring sign that this franchise is severe about competing. And Hammon’s observe report says she’d flip the Fever right into a aggressive crew ahead of later.

However what about some extra lifelike choices? Fortunately, Dunn has just a few proper in her personal yard.

See if Niele Ivey will go away one residence to come back to a different

Niele Ivey, mom of Purdue’s Jaden Ivey — the No. 5 choose within the 2022 NBA Draft — is aware of a factor or two about basketball. She was a star at Notre Dame earlier than being picked by the Fever within the second spherical of the 2001 WNBA Draft. She spent 4 seasons with the crew and yet one more break up between Detroit and Phoenix earlier than transitioning to teaching. She was an assistant at Notre Dame for 17 seasons beneath Muffet McGraw, serving to Notre Dame to seven Closing 4 appearances. She spent one season as an assistant for the Dallas Mavericks beneath now-Pacers coach Rick Carlisle earlier than changing McGraw within the head function at Notre Dame.

Extra:The outstanding story of Purdue’s Jaden Ivey and his mother, Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey

Final season, Notre Dame received 26 video games and made a Candy 16 look. This system’s plus-14 win differential from the earlier season was matched by solely two different Energy 5 faculties.

Ivey is aware of Indiana basketball. Ivey is aware of teaching. Ivey is aware of profitable. The Fever may use some wins.

If she’s not thinking about leaving South Bend, there’s another choice additional south. 

Teri Moren may flip the Fever round

Teri Moren has taken Indiana’s girls’s basketball program from fledgling to a constant NCAA match contender. Coming into her ninth 12 months on the helm, Indiana has received 20 video games in seven consecutive seasons. The Hoosiers have made consecutive Candy 16 appearances and made the Elite Eight final season for the primary time in program historical past. 

She’s by no means coached within the skilled ranks, however is well-acquainted within the state of Indiana — she bought her begin at Butler as an assistant, was a head coach on the College of Indianapolis for seven seasons and the pinnacle coach at Indiana State for 4 extra. In 19 seasons as a head coach, she’s received 371 video games.

Extra:How Teri Moren turned IU girls’s basketball into one thing it has been chasing for many years

Moren is aware of Indiana basketball. Moren is aware of teaching. Moren is aware of profitable. The Fever may use some wins.

Hopefully, brighter days are forward for the Fever. Younger gamers on this 12 months’s crew will get higher. Draft picks will are available and contribute. However somebody must rally the troops with confidence and demand excellence. That begins on the high. 

Dunn ought to make a name to Las Vegas, then to South Bend, after which to Bloomington. She ought to have her cellphone in a single hand and a clean verify within the different.