Point guards available to Fever show exactly why Caitlin Clark is so missed

The Indiana Fever have been struggling with playmaking since Caitlin Clark's injury, and it's an oversight that must be fixed to take this roster to the next level.

They made a smart move by bringing in veteran DeWanna Bonner, and we saw the benefits of that in last night's game against the Connecticut Sun. But her efforts ended in a loss to the only team in the W that had yet to win a game.

The Fever scored 90 or more in three of their first games, and Clark's passing was a big part of that. She's averaging nine assists per game, and the team is missing her presence badly. They're 0-2 in the games they've played without her, only scoring 77 and 83 points. They've gone from sixth in team assists over the first four games of the season to 11th in the last two.

The Fever desperately need to add another natural playmaker

Adding another guard with strong passing skills would be a benefit to the team, with or without Caitlin Clark on it. Everything is much more difficult right now. They only lost that game by two points, but they shouldn't have lost it at all.

The Sun gutted their roster in the offseason, losing DiJonai Carrington, Alyssa Thomas, and the rest of their starting lineup.

On the other side, the Fever have title aspirations. Losing Caitlin Clark for a couple of games can't result in a complete collapse. This team is supposed to have a defensive identity with a fast and unselfish play style on offense. They had four fast-break points against the Sun. Their 20 assists were much better than the 15 in the loss to the Mystics, but their inability to put it all together is hurting.

Trades during the WNBA season aren't as common as they are in the NBA, but last season, we saw some movement before the deadline. Maybe the Fever can pull something off to bring in another playmaker to take pressure off the rest of the offense. Courtney Vandersloot is just hanging out in Chicago, averaging six assists per game on a bad team. She doesn't need to be there.

Vandersloot is an experienced vet who would add championship experience to the roster. She was a part of the New York Liberty when they won the title last season. Caitlin could get a little more time off the ball when she returns with a player like Vandersloot on the floor, and playmaking wouldn't suffer as much when Clark is off the floor.

That's just one option, but something must be done if they're going to challenge a team like the Liberty for a title. Clark, Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell have the talent to lead the Fever deep in the playoffs, but a few more tweaks will put them on the shelf they're reaching for.