Caitlin Clark and Fever's Lockdown Defense Stands Out from Dominant Victory Over Sky

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever mean business, coming away with the top defensive rating at the start of the WNBA season.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) gets the crowd excited Saturday, May 17, 2025, during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Indiana Fever defeated the Chicago Sky, 93-58. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Heading into the 2025 season, the Indiana Fever have been vocal about sharpening their defensive skills, and with the help of new key members of the coaching staff and the team's obvious determination in the gym in the offseason, they did just that.

With every WNBA team now having played at least one game, the Fever are currently atop the league in defensive rating (albeit in a very small sample size). Their dominant 93–58 win over the Chicago Sky on Saturday showed that this team isn’t giving up easy buckets with six Indiana players currently sitting in the top ten in defensive win shares due to the lockdown defense in the dominant victory.

Hi Haters!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/cW3SMnpuVh

— Rindi Pocha (@pocha5322) May 19, 2025

Fever Center Aliyah Boston made a statement season debut, racking up an impressive five blocks. Meanwhile, star point guard Caitlin Clark, who’s been laser-focused on improving her defense, notched a career-high four blocks of her own, showcasing just how serious the Fever are about shutting teams down.

Now that everyone’s played a game, here’s the opening weekend league offensive and defensive ratings. Notice the amazing sparks in 4th with no brink on defense. pic.twitter.com/NlDwtGBkd1

— Cameron Brink Glory (Fan) ⚡️ (@TheBrinkOfGlory) May 19, 2025

The Fever ended the 2024 season ranked 11th in defensive rating, outperforming only the Dallas Wings. But they wasted no time addressing their weaknesses in the offseason, not only acquiring two key pieces from the league’s top-ranked defensive team the Connecticut Sun—head coach Stephanie White and veteran forward DeWanna Bonner—but they also picked up the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Natasha Howard.

With White at the helm, and a mix of veteran experience with a hungry young core, the Fever are emphasizing defense and the early results are encouraging. Already entering the season as the best offensive team in the league post Olympic break last season, the Fever mean business this year, and have sent a clear message that they are playing both ends in pursuit of a championship in 2025.