The first season in Caitlin Clark’s WNBA career is officially in the books.
After the Indiana Fever‘s 87-81 loss at the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, Clark and the Fever’s first season together came to a close with a first-round sweep in the WNBA Playoffs.
Indiana earned the No. 6 seed after a 20-20 regular season. The Fever improved immensely as the season progressed.
Indiana began its season just 1-8, but the Fever rebounded and were one of the league’s top teams after the return from the extended WNBA All-Star Game and Olympics break.
Indiana posted a 9-5 mark after the break and that included the regular season finale where the Fever rested their starters midway through the contest in a 92-91 loss at the Washington Mystics.
Now that Clark’s rookie season is complete, what now? What’s next for Indiana?
ESPN took a look at precisely that. Guards Kelsey Mitchell and Erica Wheeler along with center Temi Fagbenle are Indiana’s free agents. Mitchell’s future was listed as Indiana’s biggest offseason question.
Does Mitchell return? Given how well she and Clark eventually played together, Mitchell leaving the only WNBA franchise she has known would be a blow for the Fever. But her electric offensive play should be coveted around the league. The new Golden State Valkyries expansion team also adds a wrinkle to free agency, with an expansion draft set for after this season. The Fever remain the only team with the ability to offer Mitchell a supermax contract. They would also have the option of making her a core player, keeping her in Indiana for at least another year. – Charlie Creme, ESPN.
Bringing Mitchell back and locking her in with a longterm deal seems like the obvious and logical play for the Fever.
Inking Mitchell would secure Indiana’s Big Three of Clark, Mitchell and Aliyah Boston through the 2026 season.
Mitchell started to really come into her own alongside Clark in the final stages of the 2024 season, averaging nearly 25 points per game over the final 13 games.
Clark ended her rookie season by averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41.7% from the field, 34.4% from 3-point range and 90.6% from the free throw line.
The 6-foot guard finished with 769 points, 337 assists, 227 rebounds, 53 steals, 27 blocks and 122 made 3-pointers. Clark set the WNBA rookie single-season records for points and assists.
As her rookie season closes, it’s now time for the Fever to look toward building the franchise into a true championship contender in the future.
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