Caitlin Clark wasn’t available to play in the Fever’s game against the New York Liberty due to a groin injury that had already kept her out for several games. The game wasn’t the only thing Clark missed, however. She also didn’t attend the ESPYs. Clark was one of the nominees in the category for best WNBA player and won the award over A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart.
The award elicited praise from Fever head coach Stephanie White, but also a harsh reality check.
After speaking on Clark’s ability to continuously make history and win awards, White said, “Yes, we have momentum. Yes, we have one of the greatest players in the game, but collectively we gotta put it together. And we gotta continue to lean on one another and be better.”
The Fever aren’t living up to expectations
Coming into the season, Indiana was expected to be one of the best teams in the league and one of the few squads able to challenge the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. Then, Caitlin Clark missed significant time with two injuries, the team struggled to build chemistry, and the addition of DeWanna Bonner turned out to be a flop.
For most of the season, the Fever were battling for one of the last playoff spots, hoping to edge out the Las Vegas Aces and Washington Mystics to punch a ticket to the postseason. Three consecutive wins over the Atlanta Dream, Dallas Wings, and Connecticut Sun propelled the Fever to sixth place in the regular-season standings. They hold that spot even after a bad loss to the Liberty.
With Clark sidelined once again, the Fever were no match for the defending champions. Indiana lost 98-77, playing another uninspiring game.
The Fever’s 2025 season has been defined by inconsistency. They beat the Minnesota Lynx without Caitlin Clark to win the Commissioner’s Cup, but then failed to put up the same effort against the Liberty. The Fever also lost to the Mystics, Sun, Valkyries, and Sparks—four teams that true contenders should beat even with a somewhat short-handed roster.
So, White has a point. Clark may have been honored as the best player in the league at the ESPYs, but, as a team, the Fever still have a lot of work to do.
There’s still time to turn things around
The season is far from over and the Fever are well-established in the playoff picture. While the team may have had higher expectations when it entered the new season, the most important thing right now is securing a playoff spot despite the adversity. The Fever are well-positioned to do that and still have time to climb in the standings.
The Fever still have ten games left against the Wings, Sky, Sparks, Mystics, and Sun. If they win all of those and also get some victories against tougher competition, a solid playoff spot is well within reach for the Fever.