The second half of the W season is officially underway, and hardship signings are still rolling in. Now, this isn’t all that surprising. But when that signing is made to fill in for Caitlin Clark? Yeah, you better bring something special to the table. That’s exactly what Chloe Bibby’s arrival at the Indiana Fever feels like. Golden State’s loss might just turn into Indiana’s gain.
After two separate stints with the Golden State Valkyries this year, Bibby is now back for her third stint in the W this season. And she has already tasted some goldware elsewhere. Just days after being released by the Valkyries on June 30, she joined the Australia Opals and helped lead them to a gold medal at the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. The Fever now have another champion on their side as they aim to make a push.
“Obviously, I’m really excited. I had some stint there at Golden State and that was a great time. So, yeah, went over, played with Australia, won a gold there and that was great,” she said. “Just to be back in the W and have another crack is really exciting, really grateful for this opportunity here with the Fever and just excited.”
That excitement was on full display in her debut against the Chicago Sky. It turned out to be a night to remember as the Caitlin Clark-less Fever cruised to a 93-78 victory over the Angel Reese-less Chicago Sky. Fans were certainly quite pleased with the performances of the Australian forward, and social media was filled with praise for her.
Fans react to Caitlin Clark’s replacement having a great debut against the Chicago Sky
It’s almost as if everyone who comes through the door to replace Clark turns out to be an immense success. Remember Aari McDonald? She, too, came in as a replacement for Caitlin Clark and has since cemented her position in the starting 5. Now, Bibby isn’t a replacement for Caitlin Clark, who is out with a groin injury, but she was more specifically brought in to give the Fever more scoring options. And that was visible against the Chicago Sky.
“Hell yeah ,” one fan commented while another joined in to say, “Impressive!” Bibby went on to score 8 points on 2-5 shooting from the field, which also saw her hit 2 three-pointers. She was pretty active on the defensive end as well, getting 2 rebounds and 1 block. But perhaps the most impressive thing is the fact that she achieved all of this in just 11 minutes.
Naturally, another fan stepped in to say, “She definitely had an impact. Great job Chloe.” Well, talking about impact, she ended the game with a +2 plus-minus to show for it. Now that might not seem much to you at first glance, but context is important. Starters Natasha Howard, Sophie Cunningham, and Aari McDonald finished the game with -10, -7, and -6, respectively. And the HC must surely be pleased, as this was exactly her ask. “I mean, her ability to stretch the floor, to be a shot maker, to create some space on the interior for [Aliyah Boston]. Her size, certainly as well, are all things that we liked”.
We need her longer than 7 days! #HailState
— E Freeman (@emilycfreeman) July 27, 2025
“We need her longer than 7 days! #HailState,” said another fan. History has shown time and again that it doesn’t matter if you join on a hardship contract – if you show up and deliver, you’ll earn your place on the roster. The Fever is a prime example of that after replacing the outgoing DeWanna Bonner with Aari McDonald. But, in a situation where Caitlin Clark comes back, who would Bibby even replace on the team, considering she continues to perform the way she did against the Sky?
Well, the fans had their say on this as well. “Time to weave Bri Turner and Put Chole for full time Indiana Fever,” one fan declared, while another joined in, “Iv seen enough. Bye bye Dantas lol.” It’s hard to argue with them. Both Turner and Dantas are averaging a combined 5 points and 3.4 rebounds. In comparison, Bibby put up 6.4 points and 2.8 boards per game on her own with the Valkyries. Even in her stint with the Opals, she averaged eight points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. And going beyond the stats, even Bibby feels her fit with the Fever is just right.
“Obviously, a really physical team – tough, fast paced, and I like that style so that suits me a lot. Fast paced, shoots the three ball, and that’s exactly what I do so hopefully I can find my strides here,” Bibby said about the Indiana Fever. And you’d be right to ask whether adding a new player at this point in the season is a smart decision or not. Well, Stephanie White didn’t comment directly on the ‘rest-of-season’ aspect. However, she did hint at the “nuances“.
“Yeah, it’s a challenge always, any time you’re integrating. But I think at the position that she’ll play for us, really being somebody that’s middle of the floor, stretching the floor, there’s not a lot of nuance to how we’ll use her,” White said. This might very well be a sign of things to come in the future, as both Turner and Dantas didn’t get a chance to play against the Sky despite being fully fit.
So, what are your thoughts on Chloe Bibby and her performance against the Sky? Do you see her staying beyond her current contract? Also, could GSV be really regretting their decision after Bibby’s showing and how Indiana used her? After all, they suffered their 4th loss in 5 games at the hands of the worst team in the league, the Connecticut Sun and by 31 points.
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