Fever Guard Depth Will Be Put to Test in Caitlin Clark's Absence
The Indiana Fever will look to get things back on track against the Los Angeles Sparks, but they'll have to do it without star guard Caitlin Clark.
Clark exited the Fever's game against the Phoenix Mercury late in the third quarter with a back injury after being on the receiving end of a dirty play from Alyssa Thomas and a couple of three-point attempts where the opposition failed to yield to Clark's landing zone, including one instance where she came up holding her back. Head coach Stephanie White stated at practice on Friday that Clark is doing "alright" and mentioned that there is "no indication" of how long she will be out. Luckily, the Fever brought in several new pieces during the off-season, but none more than the guard position.
The starting responsibilities will now fall on the shoulders of veteran Tyasha Harris, per White. Despite Harris not seeing much playing time yet this season, she's still very much a strong choice for the Fever to lean on given her veteran experience.
Lineup alert: Tyasha Harris will start for injured Caitlin Clark on Saturday, per coach White. https://t.co/TwwOzyYKyS
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) June 26, 2026
In addition to Harris, the Fever added Raven Johnson and Bree Hall (on a development contract). No one can blame the Fever for being overly aggressive at stacking their depth in one spot after they ran through five guards last season as a result of being hit with the injury bug.
Johnson has already emerged as a regular in Indiana's rotation. Expect her minutes to increase heavily against Los Angeles. Indiana will need every bit of that depth at the position in the absence of the league's premier offensive engine.
Tyasha Harris Brings Reliable Qualities to Fever Lineup
The Fever's starting rotation should still be able to function at a respectable level despite Clark being out. Even though Fever fans haven't been able to thoroughly assess Harris yet this season, her track record certainly shows she's a steady and reliable option.
She's an efficient floor-spacer and has regularly shot near or over 40% from three-point range over her last few seasons. Harris, who played in {Stephanie} White's system for two seasons as a member of the Connecticut Sun, should see this familiarity play heavily in her favor when it comes to fitting into the Fever's style of play. Like Clark, Harris can also play the pick-and-roll game, which is always a smart look for the team given its personnel.
Harris is known primarily as a pass-first point guard and is a smooth playmaker, which should complement her starting counterpart, Kelsey Mitchell. She's a feisty perimeter defender as well, and that should provide the Fever with a boost in an area they've struggled in this season. Harris brings a plethora of skills that she'll get an opportunity to put on full display, and not to mention, this chance will allow her to build on her confidence.
Caitlin Clark is undoubtedly an irreplaceable presence and although the Fever hope to have her back sooner rather than later, their starting guard position is in steady hands with Harris in the meantime.
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Lindsay Burke covers women’s basketball for Indiana Fever On SI and Women’s Fastbreak On SI. She graduated from Purdue University Fort Wayne with a Bachelor's Degree in journalism and a minor in media production. Early in her career she covered ECHL hockey, the NFL and college football and has since expanded her expertise to the WNBA and the Fever franchise.
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