After a frustrating, injury-shortened 2025 season, Caitlin Clark is back—and she's got something to prove.
Let's be real: the WNBA moves fast. One minute you're the face of the league, the next you're watching from the bench. Just ask Clark. In last year's preseason GM survey, half of league executives said they'd build a franchise around her. This year? That number dropped to 20%, with last year's No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year, Paige Bueckers, taking the top spot.
But here's the thing—this isn't about Clark's talent fading. It's about recency bias. After a historic rookie campaign, Clark played only 13 games in 2025 due to injury. That's 13 games of watching her Indiana Fever teammates make history without her.
She watched Indianapolis host the All-Star Game. She watched her team notch its first winning season since 2015, win its first playoff game since 2015, and host its first playoff game since 2016. She watched a shorthanded Fever squad push the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces to overtime in a decisive Game 5 of the semifinals. She watched sellout crowds, record viewership, and the league's explosive growth—all fueled in large part by her own star power—from the sideline.
But the sideline days are over. Heading into Year 3, Clark is healthy, hungry, and ready to remind everyone why she's one of the most electrifying players in the game. And the Fever? They're not the same team she left behind. With a deeper roster, a full offseason of work, and a chip on her shoulder, the championship window is wide open.
"It was such a hard year, a year ago, when you're going through injury," Fever head coach Stephanie White said during training camp. "It's tough when you're in and out, it's tough when you're not able to do what you love. And so I just want to see her play with joy. I want to see her enjoy the opportunity that we have and this team."
Clark will get that chance immediately. The Fever open their season at home on Saturday against Bueckers' Dallas Wings—a matchup that feels like a passing of the torch narrative, but Clark isn't ready to hand anything over. She's back, she's healthy, and she's ready to write the next chapter.
For Fever fans and basketball lovers alike, this is the season we've been waiting for. Buckle up.