Caitlin Clark

By Madie Chandler-Donahue

Position: Guard
Age: 23
Years Pro: 2
Drafted: By the Fever out of the University or Iowa with the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft.
Key Stats: Averaged 16.5 points, five rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game through 13 regular season games.

Caitlin Clark’s encore season to her Rookie of the Year campaign was an unexpected blip in the young guard’s professional career. Injuries to Clark’s groin and quad nagged at her most of the year, and eventually shut down her season in early September. Clark, who previously hadn’t had an injury force her to miss a game since high school, used the situation to strengthen herself as a player and a leader from the bench.

“The biggest thing that kind of helped me process from the sideline is you can really just digest the game in a different manner,” Clark said. “Obviously, when you’re on the court, it’s so fast and there’s so many different things I’m trying to read…But from the side, I think you can really understand how the game flows and what your team really needs in that moment.”

Clark spent several stretches on the bench before she made a joint decision with the Fever to not return to play. Indiana’s focus remained on her long-term health and wellness, and felt that the ramp-up to mid-season shape would be too long a process to accomplish safely before the conclusion of the season.

“There’s disappointment,” coach Stephanie White said shortly after the decision. “There’s the obvious frustration that comes with not being healthy, really, for an entire season. But ultimately, I think the big picture is the most important thing. And those are conversations that we’ve continued to have, and the message has continued to be that her long term health and wellness, and her being 100 percent when she’s ready to go is the most important thing.”

Despite the struggles with injury, Clark earned nearly 1.3 million fan votes to become an All-Star, allowing her to be an All-Star captain for the first time in her career. Now 2-for-2 in All-Star appearances over her two years of experience in the WNBA, Clark’s reach continued to expand.

Clark’s season remained eventful from the sidelines as Gainbridge Fieldhouse hosted her signature logo launch in late August. Every fan received a shirt with Clark’s logo on it, and White commented on the weight of the moment for women’s basketball postgame.

“It’s special,” White said. “There’s very few people who get the opportunity to say that they have a logo, and to make the impact that she makes…just by being who she is, she’s a connector. She brings people together…I’m talking about it right now, and just just feeling the intense gratitude for me personally being in women’s basketball, to be able to be a part of this moment and to celebrate with her.”

In the games she was able to play this season, Clark stuffed the stat sheet with long-range 3-pointers and flashy passes. Her best performance of the season came in Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the Fever hosted the undefeated New York Liberty in mid June. Clark returned after a five-game absence to deliver 32 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists as the Fever became the first to defeat the defending champions, and earned a Commissioner’s Cup victory in the process, 102-88.

Clark knocked down seven of her 14 3-point tries in that game, and shot 11-for-20 overall. She added two blocks and a steal to that statline, and gave the Fever a glimpse at her defensive upside while providing offensive dominance on the floor.

Through 13 games, Clark shot 40 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from deep. Both marks are just marginally lower than her rookie year on similar volume.

A full offseason lies ahead of Clark and her return to the court in a Fever uniform, giving her ample time to recover and rehab any lingering injuries she might have before the 2026 season. Clark is one of just three Fever players that remain under contract for the 2026 season as she joins Aliyah Boston and Makayla Timpson on the roster.

Clark’s return will be highly anticipated come the beginning of the 2026 season, but one fact remains certain: she embraces that pressure.

“There’s always expectations and pressure to perform, and at the end of the day we play basketball because we love it and we’ve done it all our life,” Clark said. “And I think just reminding ourselves of that, you know we understand the spotlight, we understand people expect this team to win, and that’s exactly what we want to do for our fans and for this organization, but I think me personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way.

“We get to show up every single night and there’s people cheering for us, and you get to play the game you love. So if there is that pressure, you do feel that pressure, I think that’s just something you embrace. That’s always what I’ve tried to remind myself over the course of my career is you just rise to the occasion because you wouldn’t want it any other way.”

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