Fever Lose Damiris Dantas For The Season Just Before Aces Clash
Indiana's veteran backup big is done for the year after appearing in just 12 games at 3.3 points a night. Here's who absorbs the minutes.
Boston stays the frontcourt anchor and a locked-in fantasy start.
- Dantas out for season after 12 games in 2026
- Averaged 3.3 pts, 1.5 reb this season (2026)
- Fever sit 19-11, face Aces Thursday Aug 6
- Timpson: 4.2 pts, 2.5 reb in 15.9 mpg (2026)
- Boston: 16.9 pts, 8.3 reb, 3 ast per game (2026)
Indiana's frontcourt just got thinner. Damiris Dantas is out for the rest of the 2026 season, ending a campaign in which the 33-year-old appeared in only 12 games, averaging 3.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.3 assists. The timing stings, with the Fever set to visit the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday, August 6.
Here's the honest part: this doesn't blow up Indiana's rotation. Dantas was already a spot-minutes veteran, not a nightly contributor. But losing a body who owns career marks of 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds across 272 games over 12 seasons still trims Stephanie White's margin for error, especially in foul trouble or blowout spots.
The Fever are 19-11 and coming off a loss to the Minnesota Lynx, so depth matters as the schedule tightens. Indiana may look to add a center on a rest-of-season deal to shore things up. Myisha Hines-Allen and Monique Billings are already carrying real roles, but another true five wouldn't hurt.
Who Soaks Up The Minutes
Makayla Timpson is the obvious beneficiary. She's putting up 4.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 15.9 minutes a night this season (2026), and she's been the primary backup behind the starter anyway. A modest bump in run is on the table, though nobody should mistake this for a breakout runway.
The reason Indiana isn't panicking is Aliyah Boston. She's anchoring the frontcourt at 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks per game this season (2026), all in just 26.8 minutes. That's elite two-way production packed into a tidy workload, and it's why one lost backup doesn't shift Indiana's ceiling.
The Fantasy Fallout
For fantasy managers, this is a non-event on the Boston front — hold her, start her, don't overthink it, because she's a top-tier big regardless of who's behind her. Timpson is a deep-league dart worth monitoring if her minutes climb, but wait for real usage before adding. And keep an eye on Indiana's waiver moves: if they sign a rest-of-season center, that player becomes the more interesting speculative pickup than anyone currently on the roster.
