3 Ways Caitlin Clark Helps Fever’s Championship Dreams Despite Recent Criticism

When the Indiana Fever drafted Caitlin Clark, their hope was that she would be the generational talent that the franchise needed to win WNBA titles. After a stellar rookie campaign, this season was supposed to be the year, after they sign a plethora of talent around her.

One of those noteworthy signings left after a few games as she believed her game was not a good fit with the Fever’s style of play. That caused a lot of chemistry issues which cost the team quite a few games early on.

Clark’s injuries compounded the matter, and it seemed as the team was struggling to get going. Hope was that the point guard’s return would start a winning streak, but her own struggles from three contributed to two losses.

She again made the injury list and has not played in the past 4 games. Unlike the last time she was out injured, the Fever won 3 games. Most importantly, one was the Commissioner’s Cup win over WNBA Finalist Minnesota Lynx, and the other against the Las Vegas Aces.

In those two games, the team displayed an energetic brand of basketball that was not evident with Caitlin Clark running the offense. This led ESPN’s Caroline Peck to claim that the Fever were more dangerous without their most famous player.

She used the last three games as proof when suggesting that Aari McDonald was doing a better job at getting the rest of the team open. However, there are a few things that probably were not taken into context when dismissing Clark’s impact.

3 game winning run without Caitlin Clark has confused opponents

The first argument is that every team gets a scouting report about their upcoming opponent a day or two before the said game. These reports are compiled by their scouts and data analysts, who go through game footage of the opposing team.

In the Indiana Fever’s case, their opponents had access to scouting reports featuring either Caitlin Clark, or Sydney Colson, who was starting in place of her during the first injury spell. That means teams were clueless when handling Aari McDonald as the starting point guard.

It could be that teams did not realize that the 5th year guard’s speed was going to be exploited in this manner. Her agility confuses defenses enough for her mobile Fever teammates to shift around the court and into scoring positions.

It is just a matter of time before opponents figure out this iteration of the Fever and counter their moves. Therefore, it is premature to assume that the California native is a game-changer. Rather, teams were blindsided by her infusion.

When Clark comes back, team scouts will need to factor in her elite shooting. Now that she has been displaying a variety of scoring moves, opposition defenses will be on their toes, even if they are well-prepared.

Caitlin Clark has not played with this version of the team

Teams looking to counter what Aari McDonald does for the Indiana Fever need to take into account the possibility of Caitlin Clark taking over once she returns from her groin injury. The superstar guard has not played with this iteration of the team long enough.

Instead, DeWanna Bonner‘s exit was a testing time for the team. In those days, Indiana Fever players looked downtrodden, including Clark, and their performances reflected that mood. Now that the team has started to gel without the distractions, they are playing with confidence.

That confidence has seen a dominating Aaliyah Boston, a resurgent Kelsey Mitchell, and Natasha Howard play her best ball so far. Along with that, the other two members of the Tres Leches are shooting and defending at an elite clip.

Then Sydney Colson is playing high IQ veteran basketball, and rookie Mikayla Timpson is contributing on both ends of the floor. The only problem is that the Iowa star has not played with this iteration of the team. An iteration that is without the stress of trying to accommodate an all-time great.

Once she comes back, this team will get greater freedom to work against opposition schemes, as her passing is unlike the WNBA has ever seen. When normalcy returns, her highlight-reel worthy passing will make the difference between a good regular-season team and one that wants to win a title.

Caitlin Clark’s competitive drive could push teams over the edge

Last season, while getting her feet wet in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark was subjected to a lot of bumps and other forms of physical play. This season, she has bulked up and is continuing to be aggressive on the court.

Her competitive drive has seen her taunt her opponents to gain a psychological advantage. So far, the instances suggest she has managed to drive teams over the edge. Of course, she needs to rediscover her shooting form to be able to talk in that manner.

Once the 23-year-old does, she will be back at her taunting best, where her words inflict additional pain on her opponents. They will be clueless on how to stop her from either setting up her teammates or when she is scoring at will.

There is a reason why good to great players are needed on every competitive team. It is not that Aari McDonald is not a good player. Rather, it is more of a situational advantage than what good teams do over the course of a season.

Caitlin Clark is the player the Indiana Fever need to win championships. She has led a middle of the pack Iowa Hawkeyes to two straight National Championship games. It will not be long before she tries to do the same in the WNBA.

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