INDIANAPOLIS — The Fever begin the regular season on Saturday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Dallas Wings. Fever superstar Caitlin Clark is back and fully healthy after missing the majority of last season due to multiple injuries. Here are 8 must-read quotes from Clark ahead of Saturday’s season opener.
1. Clark on the areas she continues to build on as she enters her third season with the Fever.
“Just more than anything, leadership and experience. This is my third year, and even though I wasn’t out on the court last year a lot, you still learn on the sidelines. Being somebody my teammates can really rely on, being a great communicator. Steph’s [Head coach Stephanie White] always coaching me on that area. I want to be able to communicate with my team, on the court, exactly what she [Coach White] wants.”
2. Clark on the how she prepares for each game, no matter its magnitude.
“The preseason games were really fun for myself too. I treat those like real games; I treat those like they’re the playoffs. So just doing the same preparation as I would for game one, that I’m going to for game 29, that I’m going to for the playoffs. I treat it all the same.”
3. Clark missed 39 games last season, including the entire postseason due to multiple injuries. Clark shared what she learned after sitting on the sidelines and her new perspective after missing so much of last season.
“I’m the person that doesn’t want to sit out a single rep. I want to be in there every single time. I just love competing, and I love playing. None of that has changed, but I think just like being a little bit smarter with my body and understanding what it takes. Taking care of my body at this point of the season is probably the most important thing. Whether that’s recovery, whether that’s pre-court treatment, whatever that is. I’ve never really sat on the sidelines before, so that’s a very humbling experience. It gives me perspective on how to be a great teammate and how to be a great leader.”
4. The Fever lost in overtime in Game 5 of the WNBA Semifinals last season, coming up one game short of reaching the WNBA Finals. Clark talked about her belief in the Fever’s ability to make another deep postseason run this season.
“We were a couple calls and a couple people not fouling out, or Kelsey [Mitchell] getting hurt and five minutes from the Finals, and that was without about five players. We’re right there, and it takes a lot of hard work, it takes being healthy, it takes a little bit of luck to get back to that point, but I feel like our roster construction is great and it gives us an opportunity to do that.”
5. Clark describes how excited and healthy she feels before the start of a new season.
“I feel great, super excited to be back here. I think I have a great perspective on camp and not taking anything for granted. This time last year, I was kind of going through some things, so more than anything, just really excited, I feel really healthy. I feel like I’ve put myself in a position to be as healthy as I can be to start the season.”
6. Clark on how fun it is to play alongside Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell, who’s going into her ninth season with Indiana.
“She’s seen every bit of good, bad, not as good, whatever it’s been. She’s given a lot of herself, and even last year, she was out there until literally her legs didn’t work anymore. That sums up everything she’s given to this organization. More than anything, everyone knows that she’s a tremendous basketball player and just very down-to-earth and selfless. Fun to be around and really just cares about people. She makes my job a lot easier when you have somebody in the backcourt like that. There’s nobody better in the league for me to play with.”
7. Clark on how much she appreciates the fan support.
“I’m just so thankful, and I think that was a great thing for me to realize, especially when I was hurt. Obviously, people love you for the product you put on the floor, and hopefully, they love you for the person that you are too. When I was hurt, that was something that was really humbling for me and something I was super grateful for.”
8. Clark talks about how meaningful it is to have fans support her and the Fever, even when she’s not playing.
“All these young kids and these young boys, young girls, even older fans as well, they’re still showing up and screaming and cheering. That’s one, because obviously they love this team and they love all the players on this team, but two, they don’t really care how many points I score. Hopefully, they love me as a person and hopefully as a player. Even if I’m not out there being able to throw crazy passes or hit a long shot, they can still find a lot of joy in showing up.”
