Indiana Fever On SI

Caitlin Clark Conveys How Fever Coach's Challenge Inspired Physical Play

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark discussed how one of her team's coaches made a challenge that prompted physicality.
Grant Young|
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse (11) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
May 17, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball while Chicago Sky guard Kia Nurse (11) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

After the 2024 Olympics break, the Indiana Fever were arguably the most lethal offense in the WNBA. This was largely owed to the excellence of Kelsey Mitchell and Caitlin Clark (who was still a rookie) in the backcourt combined with what Aliyah Boston brought in the paint.

Given that Clark is now fully rested and spent the offseason preparing for another WNBA season, along with the Fever adding several weapons to their roster, the expectation is that the team will be elite on offense once again.

The real question is how they'll fare on defense. In 2024, the Fever's 107.5 defensive rating was the second-worst in the league. Of course, the Fever have a new coaching staff this year, which starts with Stephanie White. But they also brought Briann January back (who was a seven-time WNBA All-Defensive Team honoree and a key part of the Fever's 2012 WNBA Championship as a player), who was part of White's coaching staff with the Connecticut Sun during the past two seasons.

January's focus is on defense. And when speaking with the media on May 20, Caitlin Clark conveyed how January's impact has already been felt.

"I think defensively, I think Bri[anna January] has really challenged our group to be physical, to be up in their space," Clark said. "But also, if you're going to be physical, and you're gonna deny passing lanes, you're gonna try to get steals, you're gonna jam up handoffs. You have to have help-side... So I think they've really challenged us in that way."

While it's a small sample size of only one game, the Fever's 67.4 defensive rating against the Chicago Sky shows that January's challenge is paying dividends.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the Indiana Fever 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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