What’s next for Caitlin Clark and the Fever after exiting the WNBA playoffs?

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – The Indiana Fever started their season with a loss to the Connecticut Sun. After the opening loss in May, they realized that their young squad — even though it was led by a phenomenal point guard and the reigning Rookie of the Year at the post — still had a lot to learn when it came to winning in the WNBA.

After playing a certain style for four years at Iowa, Caitlin Clark had to figure out how to implement a new offensive system. Everyone else had to learn to play off of them: Aliyah Boston would have to make decisions from the short throw, Kelsey Mitchell would have less of the ball in her hands. All Fever players would have to run. A lot.

After a 2-9 start, Indiana made rapid progress on those fronts. The Fever won seven more games than last season, breaking a seven-year playoff drought. They finished in the top half of the league standings and were a trendy pick to upset Connecticut in the first round or at least take a game away from the Suns.

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Instead, Indiana once again left Connecticut, aware of the gap between it and the league’s top division after being defeated in two games. Four months after their welcome moment in the WNBA, Clark and her teammates received another lesson in postseason execution, one that they will have to endure in the offseason as they continue their franchise rebuild.

“When you look at a rebuilding year, obviously everyone wants to jump to the championships and bring home the ring and everything,” Boston said. “But I think when you look at basketball as a whole and look at where you started and where you are now, it’s about stepping stones.”

The most critical part of the Fever’s rebuild is over: They’ve accumulated their star talent. What’s next?

When Lin Dunn returned to Indiana as interim general manager in 2022, she set a three-year timeline for the Fever’s return to the postseason. Coach Christie Sides thought it would take another season when she signed in 2023, but the signings of Boston and Clark kept Dunn’s plan in place. The Fever made the playoffs in their third season at the top and now it’s on to the next phase.

That means playing for championships, Dunn said.

The 2024 season proved that Clark and Boston can be the cornerstones of a title team, but their internal improvements will be critical to Indiana’s progress.

Clark got stronger as the year went on, making her a more effective shooter and driver. However, she was still too reliant on her 3-point shot against better defense. Of their 40 shot attempts against Connecticut, 25 came from beyond the arc, although success was limited (20 percent). Similarly, she struggled in a two-game set against the Aces earlier this month, when she hit 3 of 18 shots. Clark needs to add variety to her shooting diet to remain efficient as the competition increases.

Clark also needs to focus more on defense. She had several errors against Marina Mabrey in Game 1, and the Fever again spoke of errors as the elimination game progressed. Perhaps better conditioning and more free time before the 2025 season will allow Clark to play harder on both ends, considering how the Olympic break boosted her performance in the second half of 2024. But she needs to impact the game as a dual player for Indiana to take the next step forward.

Although ESPN reported that Clark has no plans to play overseas, she said she hasn’t made that decision yet. She plans to take a few weeks off before resuming her basketball pursuits and only jokingly commits to playing a lot of golf in the near future. At the moment, Clark is not assigned to any non-WNBA league, including the new, upcoming three-on-three league Unrivaled. Dunn said she would like to see Clark play a few more five-on-five games before her second WNBA season.

What a rookie season for Caitlin Clark 👏

🏀 2024 WNBA All Star
🏀 2024 WNBA supports the leader
🏀 Led Indiana to their first playoff appearance in 8 years
🏀 19.2 PPG
🏀 8.4 APG
🏀 5.7 RPG pic.twitter.com/921IzxXnyD

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 26, 2024

With its wealth of young talent, Sides said Indiana has everything it needs to reach the next level. The elimination in the first round revealed some gaps in the squad structure – especially gaps in experience.

“We were facing an experienced team in their home arena that had tremendous playoff experience, and we didn’t,” Dunn said. “So now we have some, and let’s see how we respond to it. You can’t talk about it like it is, you just have to experience it. And it sends another message that as we move forward in free agency, we need to acquire some veterans who have played for championships.”

When the Seattle Storm won two titles after selecting Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd with the top pick in consecutive years, they had Sue Bird – already a two-time champion – at the helm. The Aces had three No. 1 picks from 2017 to 2019, but Las Vegas still needed the experienced hand of Chelsea Gray and then Candace Parker to get over the hump.

The Fever don’t necessarily require a starting player with Clark around, but a veteran who can take some of the pressure off Clark in the second unit and play alongside her at times to knock her off the ball would be a smart addition. Perhaps Courtney Vandersloot, currently sidelined in New York as the Liberty play larger lineups, would like to spend part of the twilight of her career in Indiana. Vandersloot, who won the 2021 championship with the Sky, is the consummate floor general who could help Clark develop as a point guard and guide the other Fever youngsters.

If Indiana wants to go all-in offensively, Kelsey Plum is an upcoming free agent who would combine three of the top four scorers in women’s college basketball history. This lineup would likely be undersized and flammable defensively, but the Fever should be dreaming big this offseason now that they have demonstrated proof of concept.

Indiana also needs to solve its frontcourt dilemma. Despite touting Boston’s pairing with fellow lottery pick NaLyssa Smith earlier in the season, Smith found himself on the bench in the biggest games of the year and even left the starting lineup in Game 2. The Fever favored a wide margin next to Boston, whether that was Damiris Dantas or Temi Fagbenle, and Connecticut coach Stephanie White was quick to bring up the challenges of Indiana’s defense as they played a lineup with five players on the could find space on the floor.

The Fever likely won’t be able to protect all of their starters (Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Smith and Boston) as well as Fagbenle and Dantas in the upcoming expansion draft, meaning a tipping point will be reached shortly. If Indiana believes it can’t maximize Smith’s skills while simultaneously building a team around its All-Star trio of Clark, Mitchell and Boston, it’s time to move on, especially while their rookie contract is still a tradeable asset is.

NaLyssa Smith’s future is not assured in Indiana. (Kamil Krzaczynski/USA Today Sports via Imagn Images)

The organization recognizes the need to take advantage of this window of opportunity, even though Clark and Boston likely have many great years ahead of them. The Fever just hired former GM Kelly Krauskopf to return to Indiana as president of basketball and business operations. Dunn emphasized the need for “great leadership” in this unprecedented moment for the WNBA, especially with a new media rights deal and a possible new CBA on the horizon. The front office needed more help to complete the next step of its rebuild, and that help is on the way.

To compete for titles, Indiana must behave like a team from top to bottom. Learning how to perform in the final two minutes of an elimination game is one piece of the puzzle, but being a franchise that invests throughout is another crucial element in the ever-escalating WNBA arms race.

The Fever’s 2024 season must be considered a success given the progress they have made in their business and on the field. Indiana is a fearsome opponent for the first time in nearly a decade and the Stars feel like they’re only scratching the surface of what they can become.

“It was special,” Clark said. “This group has accomplished a lot of things that a lot of people probably didn’t think were possible, one, starting the season and two, after we started the season. … It’s a good little taste of what’s possible for this organization and for this franchise, and there’s a lot to be proud of.”

The honeymoon phase won’t last forever. The timeline continues. At this point next year, the Fever want to be where the Sun are and protect their home court rather than regret ending their season on the road and winning a playoff series for the first time in ten seasons. Anything is possible for Indiana, but the real work begins now.

(Photo of Aliyah Boston, left, and Caitlin Clark: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Images)