Indiana Fever’s huge announcement puts pressure on other WNBA teams

The Indiana Fever announced on Thursday they will officially be building a $78 million, 108-square-foot practice facility in downtown Indianapolis. The facility — which will be ready ahead of the 2027 season — will include two courts, a weight room, a first-class recovery, an outdoor courtyard, and more.

The Fever, fresh off their first postseason appearance since 2017, will be led by a young core headlined by Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston next season, as well as a renowned new head coach, Stephanie White. Now, they’ve filled in the rest of the puzzle — revealing that players will be able to utilize top-tier amenities soon enough, too.

The move puts further pressure on WNBA teams who don’t have their own practice facilities to improve their situation in order to be able to attract and retain free agents. This winter, star players like Satou Sabally, Alyssa Thomas, Kelsey Plum, and Kelsey Mitchell are all free agents who will almost undoubtedly factor facilities and resources into their decision-making.

Indiana Fever guard Lexie Hull, speaking at an Unrivaled media availability on Thursday, praised the team frot he investment.

“We knew it was in the work so to see it finally announced to the public — really, really excited,” Hull said. “I think it just shows the dedication that the organization and the city of Indianapolis is really pouring into our team. And I think it’s going to be great for us as players and be great for our team to be able to attract some really great free agents.”

Only 4 of 13 WNBA teams — the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, Phoenix Mercury, and Golden State Valkyries — currently have their own practice facilities.

The Aces unveiled their 64,000-square-foot practice facility ahead of the 2023 season. The $40 million facility includes two basketball courts, weight rooms, training rooms, a film room, a player lounge, a family room, locker rooms, hot and cold plunge pools, an infrared sauna, cryotherapy, a nutrition bar, and more.

Shortly after, the Storm unveiled a $64 million, 50,000-square-foot facility, and the Mercury unveiled a $100 million, 58,000-square-foot facility in downtown Phoenix this past summer. The Valkyries’ facility was built before their official addition to the WNBA next season.

At the same time, 5 teams — the Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, New York Liberty, Los Angeles Sparks, and now the Fever — have plans for their own practice facilities.

The Chicago Sky, Dallas Wings, and New York Liberty are all on track for their own facilities by 2026. The Sky announced they would build a brand-new performance center in July, a $38-million facility larger than 40,000 square feet. That came after years of practicing at the Sachs Recreation Center, a public facility that doesn’t belong to the Sky.

The Wings, meanwhile, are planning to relocate from Arlington, Texas to Dallas. Wings CEO Greg Bibb has shared that that move will come with the team getting their own practice facility, though limited details have been shared: “We’re creating a practice facility that is on par with any NBA facility out there.”

The Sparks announced in November they’ll be building a new practice facility, though there’s still no timetable for its construction.

The Minnesota Lynx and Washington Mystics share practice facilities with their NBA counterparts

The Lynx share a practice facility with the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Courts at Mayo Center, and have their own court, locker room, and training areas. This facility began to be constructed in 2014.

The Washington Mystics practice at the MedStar Health Performance Center, a space they share with the Washington Wizards. Players have 24/7 access to the facilities and get to benefit from NBA resources.

Atlanta Dream, Connecticut Sun have no known plans for new practice facilities

The only two teams in the WNBA who neither have their own facility nor plans for their own facility are the Atlanta Dream and Connecticut Sun.

The Sun practices at the Tribal Practice Facility, a part of the Mohegan Community and Government Center in Uncasville, Connecticut. The team doesn’t have exclusive access to the facility, so players can’t use it year-round. The facility also lacks a lot of the amenities a professional basketball team’s dedicated space would have.

There have been several high-profile instances of the Sun being kicked out of the facility in favor of community events; for example, during the first round of the playoffs against the Fever, they had to share the court with a toddler’s birthday party. Longtime Sun veteran Alyssa Thomas has blasted the practice facility on numerous occasions, calling the current arrangement “the ultimate disrespect.”

The Atlanta Dream practices at the Core4 Athletic Complex, a facility built by former NBA player Paul Millsap. The facility is professional — it has multiple practice courts, a weight room, saunas, etc — but it’s not specifically theirs, and it is about 23 miles from Gateway Center, where the team plays.

What the Fever announcement means

As teams look to lure top free agents this offseason, their practice facilities and amenities will ultimately factor into consideration. That puts teams like the Sun and the Dream at a comparative disadvantage, while teams like the Aces and Mercury can already offer world-class facilities. Each time another WNBA team unveils these types of plans, further pressure is placed on other WNBA teams who lag behind on this front.