Caitlin Clark put together a historic rookie season. She broke record after record, increased the WNBA’s popularity, and quickly established herself as one of the best guards in the league. The Indiana Fever are on the rise, already having a big three in place with Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell, and attracting a lot of interest from potential free agents.
After all, who wouldn’t want to play with a generational talent like Caitlin Clark? With the success Clark already found in the WNBA, it is easy to forget that 2024 was just her first season in the league. What she did this year was only the beginning.
Clark is not even in her prime yet and still has plenty of room to grow. While that is scary for the rest of the league, it is good news for Fever fans. The Fever will go as far as Clark takes them, and if she can make certain improvements, that will be very far.
3. Get stronger
The WNBA is a physical league, and, knowing what Caitlin Clark can do, other teams will send their best defenders and double teams at the young Fever star. They will try to be physical with her to try to throw her off her game.
While this speaks to the respect opponents have for Clark and her talent, it will also be challenging and frustrating at times. Clark will have to learn how to deal with that, and one way to do that is to get stronger physically.
When she was on The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, the Fever’s new head coach, Stephanie White, was asked which improvements she would like to see from Clark right away. She answered that Clark needed to get stronger and hit the weight room. Since Clark is not playing overseas or for Unrivaled this offseason, she will have plenty of time to do just that.
2. Limit the turnovers
Coming into the WNBA as a young point guard with all eyes on you is not an easy thing to do, and it was evident in Caitlin Clark’s turnover numbers during the 2024 season. In her first regular season game against the Connecticut Sun, one of the best defensive teams in the league, Clark turned the ball over ten times.
While she never hit that mark again, Clark still averaged 5.6 turnovers per game on the season. It was by far the most turnovers per game in the league. Alyssa Thomas was next in line with an average of 3.6.
Just having one season of WNBA experience, some rest, and being more familiar with her teammates should help Clark limit her turnovers in the 2025 season. If she can, it will not only further elevate her status in the league but also help the Fever. Indiana was not a good defensive team last season, posting the second-worst defensive rating in the league during the regular season. They relied heavily on outscoring their opponents, and turning the ball over less makes that much easier.
The Fever’s defense should improve under Stephanie White, but it won’t happen overnight, and the Fever’s bread and butter will still be running a high-scoring offense.
1. Improve defensively
Caitlin Clark is known for her wild 3-point shots and creative passes. That is how she made a name for herself, and her offensive skill set will likely always be her biggest asset in the WNBA. Clark already averaged 19.2 points and 8.4 assists per game as a rookie, and there is still so much more to come.
The focus will unquestionably be on Clark’s offensive improvements, but that is not the only aspect of her game she can grow. Indiana must become a better defensive team to take the next step, and new head coach Stephanie White is determined to get the team there. While she was still with the Connecticut Sun, White coached the best defensive team in the league.
While the Fever may not be quite as good as the Sun were in White’s first season with the team, she will challenge every player on the roster to compete defensively, including Clark. Clark may not end up being the Fever’s best perimeter defender, but she has the tools to improve on that end of the floor as well. At 6’0”, Clark has great size at the guard spot, and Fever fans all know how great her basketball IQ and understanding of the game are.
If Clark can get even better offensively while also consistently improving on the defensive end, she will be truly unstoppable.