Fever must do this to have long-term success with Caitlin Clark

The Indiana Fever have their superstar. Caitlin Clark made first-team All-WNBA and finished fourth in MVP voting as a rookie. There is no denying her greatness, and her transition was incredible. Clark was an all-time great in college, but few immediately jump to the pro level and are instantly elite. She is certainly unique and just getting started.

Indiana snapped a seven-year playoff drought, but already have their sights set on the next step. The Fever want to be serious title contenders. They found the most difficult piece in a top-five talent in the W. It is all about building the roster around her to make a legitimate push.

Fever president Kelly Krauskopf has a plan, but it cannot just be a one-year operation. Things will change drastically in the 2026 offseason with the salary cap rising, and Indiana must keep a constant focus on this to be a title challenger over the next decade-plus.

Fever must constantly improve to have long-term success with Caitlin Clark

Winning a championship is difficult and taking home multiple is significantly harder. The Aces failed in their bid for a 3-peat this season, and there were several lessons the Fever could learn from their experience.

Indiana did not have enough talent or depth to be a serious title contender in 2024. They made the playoffs but were swept by the Connecticut Sun in the first round. Krauskopf is eager to upgrade their roster, but that won’t be enough.

The front office must maximize their roster at every turn. The Aces kept making upgrades around A’ja Wilson before finally breaking through for a championship in 2022. NBA fans saw the Boston Celtics go through several iterations before finally winning a title with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in 2024. Those constant incremental upgrades pushed them over the top.

The Fever need more shooting and defense around Clark. Fans saw Lexie Hull break out this year. Clark creates a ton of open shots for her teammates, and Indiana would love to connect at a higher rate in 2025. The Fever were 11th of 12 franchises in defensive rating. They must improve to be anywhere near title contention. The final four teams all finished in the top five of this category.

It will be on the front office to keep improving their roster and maximizing Caitlin Clark’s chances of winning a championship. Kelly Krauskopf knows how to build a winner and spent years putting the pieces around Tamika Catchings. Expect her to figure it out, but upgrades are necessary. Hopefully, they come in 2025 and continue trickling in to keep the Fever near the top of the W throughout Clark’s career.