Fever may have cracked the code with fascinating Caitlin Clark strategy

Before Caitlin Clark returned to the lineup on June 14, she made it clear that a minutes restriction wouldn't be necessary. Facing that request, Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White came up with a fascinating compromise: Limiting Clark to short spurts that amounted to 31 overall minutes.

The end result: A colossal victory over the previously undefeated New York Liberty and one of the best games of Clark's WNBA career thus far.

Clark finished the 102-88 win over New York with 32 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. She did so while shooting 11-of-20 from the field and 7-of-14 from beyond the arc, as well as 3-of-5 at the free throw line.

Beyond the numbers, Clark was brilliant in her approach, going on generational heat checks in the first half and dishing out six of her nine assists in the second.

One of the key elements of Clark's success was the manner in which White staggered her superstar's minutes. It created advantageous matchups, prevented fatigue from setting in, and allowed every second spent on the court to be meaningful.

The strategy was clearly employed to help Clark adjust to the pace of the WNBA after a five-game absence, but it may be worth utilizing it in future games.

Is staggering Caitlin Clark's minutes a strategy that can work long term?

Utilizing Clark in a series of short spurts proved beneficial on multiple levels. The obvious motivation was preserving her health after a five-game absence, but it also enabled Indiana to play with a stronger emphasis on the depth of the roster.

The result was players getting into rhythms that are much harder to develop when playing off-ball in an offense that's, understandably, run through a superstar player.

Kelsey Mitchell's constant involvement enabled her to play through early shooting woes to finish with 22 points, including 10 during the fourth quarter alone. It also opened the door for Lexie Hull to to score 14 points in an excellent bounce-back performance.

Aliyah Boston, meanwhile, continued her remarkable emergence as an elite playmaker with 10 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

Off the bench, Sydney Colson turned in her best performance of the 2025 season. She posted 10 points, six assists, one rebound, and a steal in 20 minutes of action, making crucial plays on both ends of the floor throughout the win.

Clark is by no means impeding her teammates' growth in a deliberate manner, but the reality of a high-usage player is that touches are inevitably taken away from the supporting cast.

With Clark in a featured role that was built on the platform of quick spurts of playing time, other Fever players inevitably found a more prominent place within the offense. That resulted in three different Indiana players recording at least six assists and five scoring a minimum of 10 points.

It's an unorthodox strategy that may have only been utilized to counter the effects of a return from injury, but the Fever must consider sticking with this brilliant approach.