The Caitlin Clark trajectory this season has been fascinating. After missing a majority of the 2025 campaign, many believed she could help the Indiana Fever take that next step this year. However, an uneven season has led to some mixed feelings in that regard.
To make matters worse, just as it looked like she was finding her rhythm, an injury derailed her season once again. Somehow, though, the team has soldiered on without a hitch, winning all their games without her. Unfortunately, that record has triggered some uncomfortable conversations online.
The Value of Caitlin Clark
When she was drafted first overall by the Fever, Clark was seen as a transformative, franchise-altering force. And, the returns from her rookie year were hard to deny. Leading the league in assists while running away with the Rookie of the Year award and earning an All-Star nod, she was just as good as advertised.
She also changed the fortunes of the franchise, taking them to the playoffs immediately. But a groin injury limited her to just 13 games in her second year. Without her on the court, though, the team did not completely fall apart.
Instead, a spirited showing led them to the Semi-Finals of the playoffs, where they pushed the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces, to the brink in an instant classic. As she geared for a return in 2026, Indiana seemed like a truly dangerous threat.
However, alongside the threat, whispers started to grow louder about the impact she was having on the franchise. Off the court, the numbers were tangible, as television ratings and attendance numbers proved how much of a draw she truly was.
But on the court, the concerns grew louder, especially as she struggled in the first few games of a new season. Despite averaging 20.5 points and 7.9 assists per game, there were question marks about her fit with the team.
Those concerns have only grown louder as the team has lost just one of its last four games, the only one she suited up in as she recovers from a back injury. Those three wins pushed the team’s overall record to 4-0 without her.
Almost immediately, social media ran ablaze with the story. As one fan broke down the record difference, “The Indiana Fever with Caitlin Clark: 9-9. The Indiana Fever without Caitlin Clark: 4-0,” another explained the immediate impact, or lack thereof, she had in her minutes.
The Indiana Fever with Caitlin Clark:
9-9The Indiana Fever without Caitlin Clark:
4-0— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) July 10, 2026
“Fever are 4-0 w/o Clark this year & went deeper on the playoffs w/o her last year. In 16 mins, she had 4 TOs somehow & shot horrendously. Had a net -15. I feel bad for white cause she knows you can’t win w/ cc’s TO heavy style, but if she don’t play her, she gets killed by casuals.”
Their latest win came in a 92-89 thriller against the Phoenix Mercury, where Kelsey Mitchell had a spectacular showing. Going for 29 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals, she had Stat Muse impressed with her performance.
“Kelsey Mitchell vs Phoenix: 29 PTS, 8 AST, 3 STL. The Fever are 4-0 this season without Caitlin Clark.” The performance, though, also led to some strong reactions about the Fever not having a pressing need for the two-time All-Star.
Kelsey Mitchell vs Phoenix:
29 PTS
8 AST
3 STLThe Fever are 4-0 this season without Caitlin Clark. pic.twitter.com/oaKL86aNzz
— StatMuse (@statmuse) July 10, 2026
PFSN’s Austin Swaim argued, “The national sports media wonders why WNBA players are so reluctant to embrace Caitlin Clark as their savior. It’s because in a game none of *them* were watching, two of her teammates went a combined 40-11-8 in a road win. She’s the 3rd best player on her own team, man.”
However, some weren’t willing to take the 4-0 record at face value. Instead, they dug deeper into the statistics, particularly the level of competition that the Fever had faced in the four games without her.
“The Indiana Fever without Caitlin Clark: 4-0. 1st game: 9-13 Fire, 2nd game: 9-11 Sparks without Kelsey Plum, 3rd game: Aces without A’ja Wilson, 4th game: 8-16 Mercury with the average Starter 32.2 years old. Oldest in the WNBA.”
Earlier in the year, before Clark went on a heater, rumors of a potential trade were circulating. While those have since quietened down, if the team continues to knock off victories consistently, regardless of the level of competition, then those conversations may start anew.
