Caitlin Clark's Rim Attacks May Matter as Much as Her Threes for Fever

The Indiana Fever could get a big boost from Caitlin Clark attacking the basket.

May 9, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while Dallas Wings guard Aziaha James (10) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark was just 2-for-9 from deep in the Indiana Fever's season-opening loss to the Dallas Wings. And given logo bombs are a big part of what helped her explode on the scene, and since she struggled from range in 2025 (27.9%) while battling a myriad of injuries, how she shoots the three is a worthy early season trend to track.

However, how she shoots from up close is also worth watching closely.

Clark had numerous strong drives to the cup in the loss, and if she continues to put her head down and attack, it could really open things up for Indiana—as it would be a return to the form of her dominant rookie season.

Clark shot 62% from 0-5 feet in 2024. For comparison, that is better than Aliyah Boston shot from the same range, and Boston is the team's center. But Clark hit on just 51.2% of attempts from that area in 2025, with fewer of her shots taken near the rim as well.

Against the Wings on Saturday, Clark was 5-5 from within five feet. For math majors, that is 100%. Those finishes also made up a good portion of her 18 overall field goal attempts, so it appeared to be a clear area of emphasis for her to attack.

Clark Had Purpose With Drives

May 9, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The burst and intent she showed on drives was notable. And Indiana Fever On SI asked Clark about whether this was done with purpose.

"Yeah, I mean absolutely, especially if they're going to call it the way they're going to call it this year," she responded.

"I think I honestly could have gotten a couple more calls, on a few of them. But that's okay. Getting my feet in the paint, whether I'm going to shoot it or not, it makes them get in defensive rotation. And that's going to get my teammates a shot," she added.

Caitlin omg bruh pic.twitter.com/hVCrI8gpIY

— Shabazz 💫 (@ShowCaseShabazz) May 9, 2026

"So that's definitely been a focus. I think I lost a little bit of that last year with just my burst and my step, obviously dealing with the injuries. That was kind of my priority and I felt like I did that well, and get a few more shots to go down and it's a really good game," Clark concluded.

Clark was 7-18 from the floor overall for 20 points, meaning she's correct in citing that an uptick in efficiency on her other shots would have led to a very impressive box score.

There were some questions about why Clark made several trips to the locker room during the contest against Dallas, which she chalked up to getting work done on her back. But she certainly looked at full strength on the court when attacking the basket.

Clark collapsing the defense can allow the rest of the Fever to feast, and keep opposing defenses on their toes. So keeping an eye on if she can keep up that level of rim pressure is just as important as tracking her logo threes.