She didn’t call her “overrated.” She didn’t question her game.
But when Natasha Howard called Caitlin Clark her “little sister,” fans back in Iowa lit up like a Fourth of July firework. Maybe it was the tone. Maybe it was the timing.
Or maybe it was because, once again, someone seemed to forget who carried Iowa on her back for four years. Now in Indiana, Clark finally has teammates—but the shadows of her college heroics still loom large.
And that, oddly enough, is where this story gets personal.
When Natasha Howard joined the Indiana Fever, she had one thing on her mind the first time she saw Clark:
“Dang, this is what everybody’s talking about right here.”
It was admiration—raw, honest, and earned. But Howard, a 3X WNBA champ and former Defensive Player of the Year, didn’t stop there. On Bird’s Eye View with Sue Bird, she reflected on Clark’s transition from college superstar to pro teammate:
“Just letting her know that she doesn’t have to do everything like she did in Iowa. ‘You have great teammates around you and phenomenal players that can take that weight off your shoulders.’”
To most ears, it sounded like support. But in the court of public opinion—especially back in Iowa—it felt like a reminder that Clark did have to do everything.
And that reminder stung, especially now that Clark is injured for the first time since she started college.
natasha howard on being caitlin’s teammate:
“just letting her know that she doesn’t have to do everything like she did in iowa. ‘you have great teammates around you and phenomenal players that can take that weight off your shoulders’.”
pic.twitter.com/5aNMrAQBtH
— depressed cc akgae (@clrkszn) June 27, 2025
After all, Clark wasn’t just a star at Iowa—she was the system.
A system that led them to back-to-back NCAA championship finals games. A system that, in the 2024 title game, dropped 30 points—nearly doubling the next highest scorer on the team (Kate Martin, 16).
So when the same “invincible” Caitlin Clark—once ranked No. 4 in high school behind Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink—went on to spark a one-woman revolution in Indiana… and then got hurt?
The accusations started flying. Fans pointed fingers at head coach Stephanie White, at the other players, and at the vets—especially after DeWanna Bonner’s exit.
However, what they forget in all this chaos is that, in 2025, the Indiana Fever is no solo act. But maybe that’s exactly why Clark can be injured now—because, for once, she has a team that plays at her level.
Aliyah Boston is averaging 15.9 points on nearly 62% shooting. Kelsey Mitchell dropped 32 against Dallas. Howard? She leads by example, chipping in 15 points, 13 rebounds, and a vet IQ that doesn’t show up in box scores.
And they made their point loud and clear. Especially after their recent 94–86 win over Dallas without Caitlin.
While Clark sat with a groin injury, and the trolls mocked her absence (“ducking Paige,” they said). Indiana echoed Howard’s feelings and led by 22 in the first quarter, and by the time the game ended, four of Indiana’s five starters scored in double figures.
just showing that what Howard said on the Sue Bird podcast was her way of showing support and that she meant it when she said “Just let her know you’re not alone with this. I got your back,”
Clark and Iowa fans react to Natasha Howard’s comments.
However, despite her assurance, Fever fans aren’t happy—and it’s understandable why.
One fan said, “I feel like she has to do way more with the Fever than she had to do at Iowa. We have too many players on the Fever that don’t know or care to play their role.”
That frustration was especially evident during Clark’s first season, when the Fever were dropping back-to-back games before finally clicking after the Olympic break. They finished 9–14 and managed to make the playoffs—but the burden on Clark felt even heavier than it did at Iowa.
Another fan said, “@CaitlinClark22 had pretty damn good teammates in Iowa as well & she made them better because of the attention she drew. That’s why they flourished!!!! @IndianaFever could learn something by watching those tapes, including the coaching staff!!!!!”
And for any die-hard college basketball fan, it’s easy to see why Natasha Howard’s comment might come off as borderline traitorous. Yes, Clark’s Iowa teammates were talented—for the college level. But Clark herself was already operating at a WNBA and international level.
May 30, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever forward Natasha Howard (6) rushes up the court Friday, May 30, 2025, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Connecticut Sun defeated the Indiana Fever, 85-83. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
To put it in perspective: over 16,600 women play NCAA basketball each year, but only 36 get drafted into the WNBA. Of those, roughly 33 come from Division I schools. And even that’s just the beginning—there are only 144 total roster spots in the league. While first-rounders usually make the cut, second- and third-round picks often don’t. In the last five years, only about 66% of all draftees have even played a single WNBA game.
And here’s the blunt truth: from that vaunted Iowa squad, only Clark is a WNBA starter. The other two who made the league—Megan Gustafson and Kate Martin—come off the bench.
So yes, the talent level is different. But the fan has a point. The Fever can study Clark’s Iowa run—how she thrived, how her teammates fit around her—and figure out how to recreate that ecosystem. Because to get the most out of Clark without breaking her down, they’ll need to build around her the same way Iowa once did.
One fan said, “I love Howard as a vet and longtime WNBA player, but if these girls knew how to play with Caitlin like Iowa did, they would be so much better.”
Well, to be frank, even without fully figuring that out yet, the Fever are already better with Clark on the roster. When she went down with a quad injury, her absence created a massive offensive void. According to Dimers.com, Clark was directly responsible for 42.6% of Indiana’s scoring output. That drop-off was immediately reflected in the Fever’s lowest-projected point total of the season—just 82 against Washington (they finished with 77).
Another fan said, “With all due respect, she had some great teammates at Iowa and didn’t have to do everything. @GabbieMarshall and @kate_martin22 were pretty outstanding—as well as some others.”
They were, and still are, awesome. Kate Martin sells the most jerseys on her team, and now that she’s getting better opportunities with the Las Vegas Valkyries, she’s showing just how special she is—whether it’s her recent 21-point career-high outing or her 11-point performance against the Sky this year. And yes, both Marshall and Martin formed the backcourt that helped power Clark’s Iowa run.
One fan said, “This is kind of an extremely backhanded thing to say. C was not the only player that made a difference in Iowa, and I specifically remember being livid at Hannah Stuelke because she was playing so well against my teams in the 2023 Final Four/Championship.”
And that’s an important point—no one can brush aside NCAA stars like that. After all, most of the WNBA’s talent pipeline flows through college hoops, and some of those unforgettable performances still resonate with fans today.
And Iowa, of course, can’t forget—because Clark, Marshall, and Kate Martin were the fairy godmothers who gave the program its two Cinderella runs.
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