Indiana Fever On SI

Fever Aren't Better Without Caitlin Clark, but Indiana Is Improving

The Indiana Fever are not more dangerous without Caitlin Clark. Still, they're improving in a major way that should have fans excited for Clark's return.
Lou Orlando|
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrate from the bench Thursday, July 3, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrate from the bench Thursday, July 3, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At this juncture of the 2025 season, the Indiana Fever have played half of their games without the services of their star point guard Caitlin Clark.

Plagued first by a left quad strain and now a left groin strain, Clark has been sidelined for nine of Indiana's 18 games, and was not active for a highly anticipated WNBA Commissioner's Cup Final against the Minnesota Lynx.

Fortunately for the Fever, it seems her return is on the horizon. Clark participated in practice on Tuesday, a promising sign as Indiana gears up for a midweek contest against the Golden State Valkyries.

The Fever have managed to tread water, sitting 7th in the league at 9-9 despite two significant stretches without Clark. But even with better play of late, it's been an inconsistent ride overall, marked by exciting peaks and ugly valleys.

Injuries have done little to keep Clark out of the media spotlight this season, and even on the Fourth of July, the star guard remained a topic of conversation.

ESPN analyst and former college basketball coach Carolyn Peck made waves on Friday, opining that "Indiana is even more dangerous when Caitlin Clark doesn't play." The comments drew a harsh reaction from Fever fans, and Peck would eventually rephrase her remarks, contending that she only meant to compliment the rest of the team.

The bold statement came on the back of three impressive wins, as the Fever outlasted the Dallas Wings and dominantly dismantled Minnesota and the Las Vegas Aces, all without the help of Clark. To that extent, Indiana's core, buoyed by Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, deserves its flowers, particularly for a complete performance against the league-leading Lynx.

That doesn't change the fact that the criticism of Peck's initial statement is warranted. To put it simply, positing that the Fever are "more dangerous without Clark" is a flawed assessment that lacks statistical backing.

Peck's comments would prove to be poorly timed. Just one day later, Indiana fell to the Los Angeles Sparks 89-87, unable to convert on a bucket in the final minute of play.

The loss sank the Fever back down to .500 on the season and 4-5 in games without Clark. Admittedly, her value isn't as loudly reflected in the win column as you might think. Indiana is 5-4 with Clark, perhaps emblematic of their inability to put a consistent product on the floor.

But in most other metrics, Clark's impact is undeniably visible.

Before digging in, it's worth noting that Indiana's 74-59 win over the Lynx in the Commissioner's Cup Final isn't considered a regular-season contest. As a result, none of the stats from that game can be factored into any subsequent splits. Considering that Indiana's offensive numbers without Clark actually take a dip with the game included, it doesn't taint the overall takeaway.

The Fever average 8.3 more points per game when Clark plays. They take roughly 10 more field goals per game, have more success running the fastbreak and scoring inside the paint, and even rebound better with her in the lineup.

There are a few categories where they've fared better without her. Indiana takes better care of the ball and has been stronger defensively in the nine games Clark has missed. The turnovers shouldn't come as a surprise -- Clark is an elite playmaker, but she does turn over the ball at a league-worst rate. The defensive metrics fall less on her shoulders, as Clark is 14th in the WNBA with 1.6 steals per game, and ranks second on the team in average defensive win share.

It's also curious that the Fever get to the line more without Clark. It may not be a major piece of this puzzle, but it's of note given the complaints about officiating from head coach Stephanie White and company this season.

Put it all together, and the stats are glaring. Indiana reaches a different level offensively with Clark on the floor. This shouldn't come as a surprise. It's common sense that the Fever have a more complete attack when they're headlined by one of the game's best all-around offensive talents.

Peck may have taken her statement a step too far, but she was right to praise the Fever's supporting cast.

Indiana looked all kinds of out of sorts during Clark's initial injury, a left quad strain that kept her out for five games. The Fever fought their way to a pair of wins, but the offense had a tendency to fall stagnant and seemed to operate at a slower pace overall.

With Clark enduring another stint on the shelf after a left groin strain, Mitchell, Boston, Natasha Howard, and Aari McDonald have all stepped up in a major way, leading to a much-improved product this time around.

Mitchell (24.0 PPG), Boston (19.0 PPG), and Howard (15.0 PPG) are all averaging double figures in the last four games without Clark. For reference, only one player averaged 15 points or more during Clark's first injury stint (Mitchell -- 15.8 PPG).

Indiana is averaging 84.3 PPG during her second injury stint, a marked 7.9 point increase from Clark's initial five-game absence. And after being the worst fastbreak offense in the WNBA without Clark, mustering a league-worst 3.8 fastbreak points per game from May 28 to June 10, they've jumped back up to the middle of the pack with 10.0 fastbreak points across their last four contests.

It stands to reason that McDonald's return has much to do with these improvements.

The former No. 3 overall pick returned to the Fever on June 25, just in time to fill the void of an injured Clark. After coming off the bench against the Sparks, McDonald has slotted into the starting lineup for the three subsequent regular-season games as well as the Commissioner's Cup Final.

She's helped the Fever maintain a fast-paced style of play, all the while dishing out a team-high 5.5 assists since rejoining the group. The long-term hope upon Clark's return is that McDonald's playmaking can open up more off-ball looks for #22, but for the time being, her presence is a necessary one to keep this offense clicking at a high level. And that's not to mention the energy she provides on the defensive end as well.

Mitchell and Boston have headlined the offense in Clark's wake, and their efforts are invaluable to Indiana's recent improvements, but Howard's play of late should not go unnoticed.

The 33-year-old forward is roughly a rebound shy of averaging a double-double since Clark's re-aggravated injury while shooting an efficient 59.5% from the field. Mind you, that's without factoring in her 16-point, 12-rebound performance against the Lynx, an effort that earned her the Commissioner's Cup MVP trophy.

She's starting to look more like the player who averaged 17.6 PPG with the Wings last season, an exciting prospect for an Indiana squad that hasn't gotten significant frontcourt production beyond Boston's All-Star efforts.

The Fever have been forced to confront a rather terrifying question: Can they succeed without Clark? It's likely a question they never wanted to know the answer to, but, for now, the answer is yes.

Obviously, Indiana is a better team with their star point guard. Two losses in just over a week to the 10th-place Sparks should be evidence enough that Clark's absence isn't a recipe for sustained success.

In the same breath, defeating the Aces and Lynx by double digits without her is a genuine statement. It's hard to imagine last year's squad pulling off the same feat.

The conclusion shouldn't be that the Fever are more dangerous without Clark. If anything, this recent stretch should illustrate how dangerous Indiana can be once Clark returns.

Without even factoring in Clark's scoring ability, the combination of her court vision and the defensive attention she draws should create more looks for the rest of the offense. Plus, McDonald and Clark have yet to play a game together, opening up the door for an exciting, never-before-seen dynamic.

Add a healthy Clark back into the mix with a unit that's hitting its stride, and the outline of a legitimate postseason contender begins to form.

Make no mistake, Indiana is plagued by some concerning on-court trends and could greatly benefit from one more addition to the roster. Nonetheless, the goal this offseason was to build a stronger supporting cast around Clark. As it stands now, they've succeeded.

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Lou Orlando
LOU ORLANDO

Lou Orlando is a Fordham University alum, graduating with a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. At Rose Hill, he covered women's basketball for the university newspaper, the Fordham Ram. In addition to calling games on 90.7 FM. The Brooklyn native enjoys bagels and thinking about random early-2010s athletes, that is when he isn't penning stories for Women's Fastbreak and Indiana Fever On SI.

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