No Caitlin Clark? Doesn’t seem to be a big deal for the Indiana Fever anymore. Remember when Sophie Cunningham said, “I think everyone saw we kind of got some flow when Cait was hurt, and our offense was clicking…”? That sparked some serious debate about whether the Fever were still as good without their talisman. Well, that is a conversation for another day. For now, though, the Fever are rolling! They’ve won three straight, and head coach Stephanie White couldn’t be prouder of her side.
Caitlin Clark has only played 13 games so far this season, and it’s no secret the Fever felt her absence early on in the season. Losses to teams like the Mystics and Sun highlighted their struggles. But Fever were only taking that as an opportunity to grow. “Learning to play without [Caitlin]… is important because that’s gonna pay dividends down the stretch of the season for us,” White had said, and they couldn’t have acted any better on it. The Fever not only adjusted, but they might have even played better without their star guard.
This obviously came from the fact that Clark was having a torrid time shooting. She averaged a mere 36.6% from the field this season while hitting only 27.9% of her shots from beyond the arc. On top of that, she only has two 3-point shots made on the road this season.
But here’s the thing. Players like Caitlin Clark will always find ways to impact the game. Despite her shooting slump, her 8.8 assists and 5 rebounds per game were still a valuable contribution for the Fever. Clark’s playmaking abilities helped deliver against the Dream and the Wings. Naturally, her absence was a tough blow, but that didn’t stop them from taking care of business against the Mercury. And you could tell Coach Stephanie White was all smiles after that one!
In a behind-the-scenes video shared by the Indiana Fever, the head coach was seen high-fiving every player and staff member in the locker room. She made sure to congratulate the entire squad, saying, “I mean just a hell of a job. That was a big win. That was a big win. We stacked a day, right? We stacked a day. We got to continue to stack. Okay? We ain’t got no room for sliding back, okay? No room for slippage. Every day there’s a sense of urgency. I was proud of you guys.”
It was definitely a night to remember for the Fever. Five players scored in double figures, with Aari McDonald stealing the show with 27 points. The replacement for DeWanna Bonner spoiling the return of DeWanna Bonner to Indiana… that was a funny trick of fate.
The Fever shot 51.6% from the field while also hitting 11 three-pointers. That’s how good they were shooting the ball. The win will definitely be a sweet one considering it was a third-straight, against the top three team, and without the help of Clark.
Even though the Fever are now three games over .500 without their young guard, Sophie Cunningham didn’t miss the chance to highlight just how important Clark is, not just for the team, but for the entire league.
Sophie Cunningham says people should not doubt Caitlin Clark as the face of the league
There’s been endless talk about Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA –from skyrocketing viewership to record-breaking merchandise and ticket sales. It’s easy to assume she’s become the face of the league. While not everyone agrees with that idea, Sophie Cunningham certainly does!
“It literally pis-es me off when people are like ‘She’s not the face of the league,’” Cunningham said on the Show Me Something podcast . “What? There’s really good, well-known people in our league, I’m not discrediting them. We have a lot of badas-es in our league. Like, h-ll yeah to that, I’m all for that. But when people try to argue she’s not the face of our league, or our league would be where it’s at without her, you’re dumb as s–t. You’re literally dumb as f–k.”
It remains to be seen when Caitlin Clark can come back from her injury. The Fever have no set timeline for her return, and honestly, what’s the point of rushing her back when they are playing the way they are right now? Stephanie White is happy, the team is happy, the fans are happy, and the wins are rolling in. What more do you need?!
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