The Indiana Fever were expected to be among the best teams in the WNBA this season. Last year, despite losing Caitlin Clark to injury, they were able to push the eventual champions, the Las Vegas Aces, to the absolute limit.
With their superstar returning to the lineup, the Fever were expected to be better than ever. However, Indiana is just 6-5 and Clark hasn’t looked like herself as of late. Despite hitting an electric game-winning 3 on Monday night, one analyst believes her time with the franchise is coming to an end.
Are Caitlin Clark’s Days With the Indiana Fever Numbered?
One of the greatest players in NCAA history, Clark rewrote the record books and became a household name. A sensational run with the Iowa Hawkeyes paved the way for the Fever to select her with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.
A dominant rookie season followed, as she led the league in assists and scored 19.2 points per game with Indiana making the playoffs after selecting No. 1 overall in consecutive years. Unfortunately, injuries limited her to just 13 games in her sophomore year.
This season, Clark has averaged 18.7 points, 7.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting just 38.3% from the field.
Before her exploits against the Washington Mystics on Monday, the previous four games were hard to watch. Tallying 49 total points, she shot just 28% from the field. This led to criticism of Fever head coach Stephanie White for not using her correctly and forcing her to fit within Indiana’s system rather than playing to her strengths.
Against the Mystics, she was able to return to form, scoring 19 points while adding 5 assists. She capped it off with a magical game-winner from the logo, etching a 78-76 win.
Even with that game-winner, Jason Whitlock wasn’t convinced that the marriage between Clark and the Fever is in a good place.
“Last night felt like Caitlin Clark’s last game with Stephanie White and/or the Indiana Fever,” he wrote, before presenting a mountain of evidence.
“CC wanted to play the ENTIRE game. She appeared to check herself back in at top of 2nd QTR only to be pulled immediately. Broadcast crew appeared to turn down halftime interview with Clark to talk with White. White immediately criticizes Clark’s defense.
“The energy between Clark and White and Clark and assistant coaches after making game-winner was unemotional and extremely low. In postgame radio interview, Lexie Hull seemed to insinuate the last play was drawn up for Kelsey Mitchell. Locker-room footage after the game, Clark rolls her eyes while White is talking. Might just be my wishful thinking, but last night seemed like an ending.”
It remains to be seen if Whitlock is correct in his understanding of the situation. But unless the Fever can use this victory as a launching pad, some changes might be necessary for a team that stands at just 6-5 through the early parts of the season.
