Natasha Howard knows what she’s talking about when it comes to WNBA greats, and she’s ready to put Caitlin Clark in the conversation.
The Indiana Fever forward, who signed with the team in free agency, has played with legends like Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, and Tamika Catchings. She’s also played with current stars like Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Arike Ogunbowale. Now, embarking on her first season with the Fever phenom, Howard drew on her experience in a transparent moment about her new teammate.
Howard compares Caitlin Clark to WNBA legends
Asked about Clark at the Fever’s media day, Howard didn’t hesitate to include her in career comparisons with legendary guards Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird.
Natasha Howard on Caitlin Clark’s leadership:
“I feel like [leadership] is natural to her. … She’s gonna be in that category with the Sue Birds, the Diana Taurasis.”#WNBA #IndianaFever pic.twitter.com/q2VzWe3lud
— The Indiana Fever (@TheIndianaFever) April 30, 2025
“I see it already in practice,” Howard responded to a question about how Clark’s leadership compared to some of the all-time greats. “She’s talking, she’s talking to us in the huddles, I feel like it’s natural to her, because she did it at Iowa for the four years she was [there]. She’s gonna be in that category with the Sue Birds, the Diana Taurasis; she’s gonna be a really good point guard for years to come.”
Taurasi played 20 seasons in the WNBA and was an 11-time All-Star, winning three titles and finishing as the league’s career leader in scoring. Bird, who teamed with the younger Taurasi at UConn for two years, was a 13-time All-Star and four-time champion who holds the league record for career assists.
Howard, who was originally drafted by the Fever fifth overall in 2014, played with Bird in Seattle from 2018-20. Playing with one of the best guards of all time, Howard’s game took a leap forward, as she won Most Improved in 2018 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. While Howard never teamed with Taurasi in the WNBA, fellow Fever free-agent acquisition DeWanna Bonner did play with “DT” in Phoenix from 2009-2019.
Clark, Fever look to build on 2024 success
It’s elite company for Clark, who joined Taurasi as Rookie of the Year winner (Bird finished second to Fever legend Tamika Catchings) and both Taurasi and Bird as first-year All-WNBA first team selections. Taurasi finished third in MVP voting in her rookie year, Bird fifth; Clark finished fourth and, like Bird, was an All-Star.
Indiana selected Clark first overall in 2024 and saw their prospects immediately improve. Clark averaged 19.2 points and 8.4 assists per game, setting a league record for three-point attempts in a single season with 355. She also finished second in the league in assist rate and was named to the 2024 All-WNBA first team.
The Fever finished 20-20 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016 (also the last time the team posted a record .500 or better), when they were coached by Stephanie White, who was re-hired for the 2025 season. White was the Fever’s head coach in 2015 (with Natasha Howard) and 2016 and recently coached the Connecticut Sun (with DeWanna Bonner, another Fever offseason acquisition) to consecutive 27- and 28-win seasons in 2023 and 2024.
Indiana tips off the 2025 WNBA regular season against the Chicago Sky on May 17 and begin preseason play May 3.
