Caitlin Clark hasn’t stepped on a court since mid-July, yet the Indiana Fever keep finding ways to win. That shocking reality has created a controversy nobody saw coming around one of the WNBA’s brightest stars.
Critics are now boldly claiming that Indiana looks better without Clark running the show. But WNBA legend Candace Parker isn’t having any of it, and she’s using her platform to end the debate.
Why Is Candace Parker Defending Caitlin Clark So Fiercely?
On the August 6 episode of her Post Moves podcast with Fever All-Star Aliyah Boston, Parker addressed the growing noise around Clark’s absence head-on, pushing back firmly against the idea that the Fever are better without her.
“For those naysayers out there. ‘You’re better without Caitlin!’ They’re not. They’re not better without Caitlin,” Parker said.
What Parker highlighted and some critics are missing is that while the Fever have played well recently, it’s not because Clark has been sidelined. It’s because other players have risen to the occasion.
The numbers tell that story perfectly. Aari McDonald, brought in to fill Clark’s role, has stepped up with 10.1 points and 4.8 assists per game. Meanwhile, Fever veteran Kelsey Mitchell has also found her groove, averaging 21.8 points over her last five games.
“I do feel like times like this, different people step up,” she added, pointing to the developmental opportunities that injuries naturally create for teammates. That’s where Parker sees the real growth, not in subtraction, but in temporary adjustment.
Parker went further, underscoring Clark’s ability to analyze the game even while she’s out.
“Caitlin is one of those people, that has a high IQ,” Parker said. “So, I know she’s watching and I know she’s going to come back and make you all that much better.”
What the three-time WNBA champion is describing is less of a setback and more of a setup. According to Parker, the Fever haven’t turned a corner without Clark — they’ve just become more dynamic, giving Clark more weapons to work with when she returns.
“It honestly is scary,” Parker said. “Because not only are you allowing other people to step up. But you’re allowing Caitlin to then survey and realize how she can add. I said from the get-go, Indiana Fever, scary.”
How Have the Fever Performed Without Clark?
The criticism Clark’s facing didn’t come out of nowhere. She hasn’t played since July 15 due to a right groin injury, her second groin-related issue this season. And while she’s been out, the Fever have gone 9-8 and rattled off a five-game win streak, their best stretch in a decade. That kind of run, especially without their franchise player, gave critics all the ammunition they needed.
Her shooting stats this year haven’t silenced them either: 36.7% from the field and 27.9% from the 3-point range. Combine that with the Fever’s improved play and winning momentum in her absence, and some analysts have taken things a step further, claiming the Fever would be more effective without her.
But it’s not that simple. Indiana’s success during this stretch is real, but so is the context. It’s less about Clark holding the team back and more about other players capitalizing on extra touches and responsibility they wouldn’t usually get.
Even head coach Stephanie White has called this stretch “a blessing in disguise” — perhaps not because Clark’s absence is good, but because it’s forced the team to grow in new ways. And that growth might be precisely what Clark’s return will amplify even further.
According to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Clark could return as soon as the third week of August. That would set her up for two of the team’s biggest matchups of the season: a back-to-back against the league-best Minnesota Lynx on August 22 and 24.
The Fever will need their full arsenal to secure a playoff spot. When Clark returns, she’ll join a team that’s deeper, more confident, and more ready to win than when she left.
