If the Indiana Fever is riding the wave of the Clark Effect, the Dallas Wings might just be gearing up for a full-blown Bueckers Boom. Sure, Caitlin Clark’s numbers are historic — the Fever’s preseason matchup against Brazil drew a staggering 1.3 million viewers, a figure rivaled by only two of ESPN’s 57 NBA broadcasts since 2010, both featuring LeBron James. Safe to say, her influence is here to stay — not just a summer fling. But don’t sleep on Paige Bueckers. Her efficiency speaks for itself, and many believe that if injuries hadn’t interrupted her college run, we might not be talking about Clark solely being the face of the league. That kind of potential is hard to ignore, especially for someone like Wings president Greg Bibb.
For him, Bueckers was almost godsent. “
Days like today don’t come very often,” Bibb said at The Shed in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards. “
It’s an opportunity to have a transformative moment for our franchise for the next decade or better.” He is so thrilled to have her on the team that he doesn’t even care about the comparison between Clark and Bueckers. He practically called them baseless, saying that Clark is one of a kind and that Bueckers moves the needle from a different spot entirely but in an equally powerful way.
“We’re going to see an immediate uptick in interest, whether that be corporate partners, ticket sales or digital engagement,” Bibb said.
Yet, yet, is it possible that amidst the celebrations of landing the star fresh off a championship, Greg Bibb and Co. forgot about something important? Well, one UConn legend certainly thinks so. Enter Sue Bird,
who has a reality check of sorts for the team.
“Now where they have a leg up on, you know, a team like Dallas where we say starting from scratch is they have a lot of vets. So you’re bringing in DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, I think Sophie Cunningham has already made her presence felt, so it’ll be interesting to see,” she said.
After finishing 9-31 in 2024, Wings said, “This is not working; let’s just turn everything upside down.” Only three players are returning — Teaira McCowan, Arike Ogunbowale, and Maddy Siegrist — while the rest of the roster has been reimagined through draft picks and trades. So, the trio of Ogunbowale-Sabally-Howard that led the 2023 Wings to its ascension? Nowhere to be seen.
In February, the Wings shook things up with a major four-team trade involving the Connecticut Sun, Phoenix Mercury, and Indiana Fever. The deal brought in NaLyssa Smith, DiJonai Carrington, and Tyasha Harris, along with the reserved rights to Mikiah Herbert Harrigan. In return, Dallas said goodbye to several key pieces, including the centerpiece Satou Sabally and rotations like Kalani Brown, Sevgi Uzun, Jacy Sheldon, and Jaelyn Brown. And it’s not just the lineup that’s changed; the front office is also part of this bold new era for the franchise.
On the other hand, while the Fever has 5 returning players, their approach was much measured, bolstering their young core with experienced veterans like DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham. With these seasoned additions, we might finally see them put their potential together with some much-needed consistency.
“The main thing we were lacking last year was experience,” Clark had said. “Adding really great vets like [Bonner] and Syd [Colson] and Tash [Howard] and putting that experience around us of not just being in this league but also winning. They have the championship pedigree.”
Clark knows this is the time to make a serious push for that elusive championship title. The road ahead, however, won’t be easy, with elite teams like the Connecticut Sun, Minnesota Lynx, and Las Vegas Aces ready to challenge them at every turn. Even so, the Indiana Fever have the talent and firepower to go toe-to-toe with any team in the league, and they’ll be fully focused on proving they belong among the WNBA’s best. Clark has also been dealing with a nagging minor injury in her left leg, and now, we have an update straight from her.
Caitlin Clark provides an Injury Update
Clark has a year of experience in the WNBA behind her this season, which should make her more dangerous. But going into the season, she has been struggling through a minor leg injury, because of which she missed their first preseason game against the Washington Mystics. While she did show her brilliance in the next game against the Brazilians, she is making sure she doesn’t overdo it.
“I feel really good, honestly. Excited to get out there and play again tomorrow and work on things that we need to work on.” She said after Indiana’s practice on May 9, “When I’m out in practice, I’m full go. I’m not limited in any regard. Whatever drills I’m in, the last two days I’ve been pretty active. There’s no reason to overdo anything right now at the beginning of the season… [The injury] was nothing major or anything like that.”
While the revamped roster has shown it can hold its own in her absence, there’s no denying the team loses a certain spark — that unique energy and edge she brings every time she steps on the court. For now, she’s playing it safe, prioritizing caution. But all eyes are on when — and if — she’ll get the chance to chase the two words that have been driving her all along: a championship.
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