"Should have protected Temi" - Indiana Fever fans upset by $197,100 big's 34.1% shooting season

The Indiana Fever fans are upset with Damiris Dantas' lackluster performance over the last few games. Her shooting stats have taken a significant dip from last season.

Last season, she shot 39.4% from the 3-point line, which is miles ahead of her 23.9% 3-point shooting this season. From the field, she shot 34.1% which is quite low compared to her 45.9% field shooting from last season. Her long-range shooting has been even more terrible in her last five games, as she failed to score a single 3-point shot in them.

On Tuesday, a fan opened a discussion about the forward's shooting slump on the Fever subreddit. The fans rallied to the post's comments section and expressed their thoughts on the forward's shortcomings. One fan told the franchise that they should have kept Temi Fagbenle.

"Should have protected Temi," he wrote.

"I miss Temi every damn day. The only excuse I can imagine the Fever FO having is that Temi struggled with injuries last year and they thought it was the start of an ongoing issue. But even when Temi was injured, she contributed a ton in practice and in the locker room. And now the Valks get to benefit from all of her wonderfulness," another fan said.

"I literally think about that every single time I watch Dantas sub in for Boston. And every time I watch the Valks play. Totally agree. Such soft hands and so fast for her size. Perfect fit for a running team with the premier outlet passer in the league. She's in so many of those old Clark highlight reels," another fan said while agreeing to the above comments.

Another set of fans criticized the forward for her decreased offensive output.

"Yeah if she not making shots, coach gotta sit her and bring in Timpson," one fan commented.

"She was giving us some decent minutes before she scooted to play in the Americup. Since then, she's been pretty damned awful, and her outside shot has deserted her," another fan commented.

"The loss is mainly because we have no point guard," another fan said.

Fans comment on Dantas's shooting slump.

Damiris Dantas joined the Fever in 2024 on a two-year, $197,100 contract. She is averaging 4.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.

Who can Fever bring in to substitute Damiris Dantas

The WNBA trade deadline closed on Thursday, leaving the teams that did not make any moves with big decisions to make going into the offseason. The Fever are among such teams with a big decision to make about Damiris Dantas' future.

Dantas will become an unrestricted free agent next season. Indiana may not extend Dantas, given her lackluster output. Myisha Hines-Allen would be a great pick to substitute Dantas on the roster.

The Wings forward has a similar player profile to the Brazilian international and is averaging a better stat line as a bench player. This season, she shot 30.6% from downtown and 45.8% from the field. Hines-Allen will also hit free agency next season, and the Fever can bring her in to bolster their frontcourt.

About the author

Avi Shravan's first year of college was the year he discovered his passion for basketball and the NBA. He has been an ardent fan of the sport ever since, from waking up early to cover games to watching pundit discussions, he does it all.

Avi is a big fan of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks and Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves and firmly believes that the young star is the next big thing in the NBA.

Avi graduated in Mass Communication and Journalism, further enhancing his skills as a journalist and a writer. In his spare time when he is not writing, you can find him playing video games, watching anime, or reading a book he randomly picked at a bookstore.

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Edited by Krutik Jain