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ESPN Analyst Claims Fever Are 'More Dangerous' Without Caitlin Clark

ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck made a statement about the Indiana Fever that is raising eyebrows among Caitlin Clark fans
Grant Young|
Jul 20, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sports broadcaster Carolyn Peck arrives on the red carpet before the 2022 ESPY Awards at Microsoft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Jul 20, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Sports broadcaster Carolyn Peck arrives on the red carpet before the 2022 ESPY Awards at Microsoft Theater. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever blew the Las Vegas Aces out on July 3, beating them by a score of 81-54 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Arena. This marks the second consecutive contest where Indiana has played great (and won big) against one of the WNBA's most talented teams, as the Fever beat the Minnesota Lynx 74-59 to secure the WNBA Commissioner's Cup Championship on July 1.

While fans expected the Fever to be able to compete against (and ultimately) beat teams of this caliber, if you had told these same fans before the season that the Fever would be doing so while Caitlin Clark is sidelined with a groin injury, they likely would not have believed you.

But the Fever have managed to look elite in these past two games while Clark's return appears imminent. And ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck wasn't shy in expressing how she feels about the team's recent play without its superstar guard on the court.

"I think that Indiana is even more dangerous when Caitlin Clark doesn't play," Peck said during a July 3 episode of SportsCenter, per an X post from Ken Swift. "Because she's a ball-dominant guard. The ball is in her hands a lot, so you know what you need to try to take away. But when you look at Indiana now, they've got so many weapons.

"When you have a point guard like Kelsey Mitchell, and Aari McDonald making plays on the perimeter, and a post like Aliyah Boston, I'm gonna tell you: Indiana, they are a threat. And it's specifically on the defensive end," Peck added.

This sentiment is not going to sit well with Clark's gigantic fan base.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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