Dawn Staley Reveals Why Caitlin Clark’s Fever Are the Only Team That Can Challenge Liberty, Lynx for WNBA Championship

The Indiana Fever entered the 2025 season with championship hopes and all the right pieces in place. After key offseason additions — including sharpshooter Sophie Cunningham and veteran leader DeWanna Bonner — the franchise looked ready to build on Caitlin Clark’s rising stardom.

The young superstar had taken her game to the next level, ready to lead Indiana’s push toward contention. But a rocky start has left the Fever at 4-4, due in large part to Clark’s absence with a left quadriceps strain — a setback that’s tested the team’s depth and grit.

Still, one legendary women’s basketball coach hasn’t wavered in her belief that Indiana has what it takes to compete with the league’s best.

Coach Dawn Staley Has Full Trust in a Healthy Indiana Fever Team

During a recent CBS Sports segment, South Carolina coaching legend Dawn Staley joined analysts Sarah Kustok and Renee Montgomery to break down the WNBA’s top contenders. When asked by Kustok which team could make a championship run, Staley didn’t hesitate.

“A healthy Indiana Fever team. They orchestrated a team that should be able to compete with Minnesota and with the New York Liberty. But the season is still young,” Staley said.

Her emphasis on “healthy” clearly pointed to Clark, who has now missed four games with her quad injury. Indiana has felt the impact.

Before going down, Clark reminded fans why she’s one of the brightest young stars in the game. In the season opener, she recorded a historic triple-double — 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists — in a win over the Chicago Sky. That performance tied her with Candace Parker for the third-most triple-doubles in WNBA history.

Clark helped the Fever finish 20-20 last season and led them to a playoff appearance, where they lost to the Connecticut Sun in the first round. Before her latest injury, she was averaging 19.0 points, 9.3 assists and six rebounds per game.

In her absence, the Fever started to turn a corner. They’ve won back-to-back games, including a tough battle against the Washington Mystics and a strong showing against the Sky. Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston have stepped up, averaging 17.4 and 15.3 points per game, respectively, showing Indiana can still compete without its top playmaker.

Still, the road to a title runs through New York and Minnesota. The Liberty leads the Eastern Conference at 8-0, while the Lynx top the West at 9-0. Both teams have looked dominant.

But Staley sees the Fever’s potential — especially once Clark returns. Their next test comes against the Atlanta Dream on June 10, and all eyes will be on whether Indiana can keep building momentum.