Key absence for Fever should force Caitlin Clark to form chemistry with big

The Fever just cannot catch a break. First, Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham missed significant time with injuries. Now that they are back, DeWanna Bonner will miss her second straight game due to personal reasons. Bonner may not have lived up to the massive expectations most Fever fans had for her, but her not being with the team is still a big loss. 

There is a silver lining to it, though. With Bonner out, Stephanie White will have to adjust the frontcourt rotation, and forward Damiris Dantas might see some more minutes than usual. That would allow Caitlin Clark to form chemistry with a big she has not played much with yet. 

Clark and Dantas haven’t shared the court much this season

Damiris Dantas is one of the few players on the Fever’s current roster who was also with the team last season. Dantas only played 20 games, though, and averaged 10.5 minutes per contest. She wasn’t one of the players Clark shared the court with a lot. 

Due to Clark’s injury, she and Dantas also haven’t played much together yet this season. The two only shared the court for a total of 32 minutes. Clark only logged fewer minutes with Sydney Colson, who is her backup, Brianna Turner, and rookie Makayla Timpson. 

32 minutes is not enough to build chemistry between two players, even if they already played together in the previous season. With Bonner out and a struggling opponent waiting for the Fever, Dantas should see some more time on the court, allowing her and Clark to build chemistry. 

It’s important for Clark to have chemistry with all her teammates

Caitlin Clark is the focal point of everything the Fever do offensively. As the starting point guard, she organizes most aspects of the team’s offense. So, it is important that she knows her teammates’ tendencies and where to get them the ball. 

Dantas hasn’t played much yet this season because Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard have been healthy all season long. Clark has great chemistry with Boston and their two-man game is incredibly important to the Fever’s success. 

If Boston had to miss some time due to an injury, none of the Fever’s reserves would be able to completely replicate what she does on the court. However, it would make the situation a lot easier if Clark also had good chemistry with her replacement. 

Dantas will miss some time soon, representing Brazil in the AmeriCup, so the Fever should jump at the chance to let her and Clark build chemistry while they can.