4 things we think the Indiana Fever should do to make Caitlin Clark shine

Caitlin Clark recently completed one of the greatest WNBA rookie seasons of all time, winning the Rookie of the Year award and leading her Indiana Fever team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. We think there is even more to come from Clark in the future, which should scare the rest of the WNBA!

With last season's head coach Christie Sides gone, the Indiana Fever are looking to bring in a new coach, presumably one who will get the best out of their star player. Here is a list of four things we think the Fever should focus on to maximise Caitlin Clark moving forward!

Caitlin Clark finished her rookie campaign with a usage rate of over 27 percent, which was in the top 10 in the WNBA. While someone as good as Clark should see the ball often, there’s a world in which the former Iowa superstar can be even more dangerous working away from the ball. Indiana should explore this possibility during the offseason.

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Everyone knows how lethal Clark’s shooting is from long distance, which means that defenders can’t afford to give her any space. Imagine if Clark started more possessions in the corner, with a teammate running over to screen. It’s a formation that the Indiana Pacers would use to get NBA Hall of Famer Reggie Miller open looks, and it should work with Clark too.

Clark would have the defense’s full attention, which might cause a second player to overplay the screen that the Fever run on the wing. If this happens, this should give the screener a free run to the basket. Either way, Indiana’s offense is opening up based on the fact that Clark is starting out the possession in a different spot on the floor.

It might take a little time for Clark to get used to playing away from the ball. ESPN noted in January 2024 that Clark was setting all-time high usage rate records while she was at Iowa, which is another way of saying she’s been used to having the ball in her hands for many years. Still, there’s a dimension of the Fever offense that can be tapped into if Clark holds the ball less.

Of course, deploying Clark away from the play more often would be easier to do if the Fever had a ballhandler or facilitator that they had confidence in. Indiana should seriously look to bring in someone who can run the offense from the top of the key, who has a history of making their teammates better with adept passing.

Alyssa Thomas would be an enormous get for the Fever if they can pull it off. She’s one of the most well rounded players in the WNBA, and would slot in perfectly as a playmaking forward in Indiana. She actually finished second in the league in assists per game, only trailing Clark in that department.

Former Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White said of Thomas to Yahoo Sports, “It’s crazy, right? We almost take it for granted. I hope that we remind ourselves not to. It’s not normal. It’s just not normal to have this many triple-doubles.”

If bringing Thomas to the Fever isn’t a realistic possibility, Indiana has a couple of other directions they can go in. They could take a long look at two-time WNBA champion Kelsey Plum, who has a strong history of playing well in big games. The Fever could also take a good look at Courtney Vandersloot, although she is five years older than Plum.

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Although Caitlin Clark posted many WNBA records as a rookie, one mark she probably did not want to set was in the turnover category. Sporting News noted that she shattered the previous mark for turnovers in a season in WNBA history, and Clark will need to take better care of the ball in the future. Watching the tape could help her improve here.

It can be difficult to correct a turnover problem in the middle of the game or during the course of a season, as the action unfolds so quickly. During the offseason, with time to digest and reflect, the Fever and Clark should sit down together to look at how her turnovers came to be. It’s possible that they can identify one or two common themes that caused her to give the ball up so often.

Of course, Indiana does not want to turn Clark into a conservative player, as she brings one of the most talented skill sets in WNBA history to the floor. Still, if they can use her rookie season to bring teachable moments to the table, and eliminate careless passes that have little chance of getting to a teammate, everyone will be much better off.

Former Fox Sports and ESPN personality Skip Bayless said on social media in August 2024 that he essentially forgives Clark for the volume of turnovers she produced in 2024. “I forgive many of them because they’re so close to being spectacular passes.” With that said, sometimes the simple pass is the most effective.

It’s a common basketball cliché, but it applies to Clark. She’s in range to shoot or score the moment she enters the arena. As a result, opponents have to approach Clark much differently than they would most other opponents. The Fever can take advantage of this reality by setting screens earlier than most teams would consider doing so.

Whoever is guarding Caitlin Clark will need to pick her up at halfcourt, if not earlier. Clark is good enough to create space by herself in a one on one situation, but using the pick and roll at halfcourt will force her primary defender, and likely a second one, to roll in her direction. This will leave a four on three situation for the remaining players, with most of the court to work with.

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While this is an inherent advantage for Indiana, the other players on the floor will need to feel comfortable operating in this semi fast break type of situation, so they can take advantage of it.