INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever open the regular season this Saturday, May 9th, against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. A year after setting a franchise record with 24 wins and nearly reaching the WNBA Finals, Indiana is reloading for the 2026 season.
Although the Fever enjoyed one of their most successful seasons in franchise history last year, they played the final 39 games without star Caitlin Clark, who was sidelined by multiple injuries.
Head coach Stephanie White is excited to have Clark back and healthy again for the beginning of a new season.
“It’s hard when you’re injured, and you’re in and out, and you don’t really know what to expect or you don’t really trust sometimes your body,” White said. “I’m proud of her [Clark] and the work she’s put in and the commitment she continues to make and I’m happy for her that she can find joy in playing again and just go out and do what she does best.”
Clark played in a WNBA setting for the first time in 9 months after suiting up for the Fever’s three preseason games at the end of April. Although it was only the preseason, Clark emphasized that she prepares with the same intensity for every game, regardless of its magnitude.
“The preseason games were really fun for myself too,” Clark said. “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.”
Because Clark missed the majority of last season, she shared at the Fever’s Tuesday practice which areas she’s improved upon as she begins her third season in the WNBA.
“Just more than anything, leadership and experience,” Clark said. “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.”
The Fever’s 44-game regular season starts at 1 p.m. at Gainbridge Fieldhouse against the Dallas Wings this Saturday.
