Back in the day, if a commander went down, the whole army usually fell apart. But Caitlin Clark isn’t letting that happen to Indiana. Even while sidelined, she knows morale is part of her job, which is why she’s been on the road, on the bench, and basically everywhere her team goes. Before Game 2 of the WNBA Playoffs she rolled up in all-black Nike Air Force 1s, and Aliyah Boston couldn’t resist: “Black Forces? She means business.” Suddenly the shoes weren’t just shoes. They became a psychological boost, a lucky charm. Still, there’s more lurking beneath the surface. The jolt of energy isn’t just about this season. Clark is quietly preparing for a comeback that promises to be fiercer than this season.
On Khristina Williams’ In Case You Missed It podcast, HC Stephanie White broke down Clark’s absence, her rise as a true leader, and why rivals should already be dreading next season. One look at Clark’s fire from the sidelines says it all. She’s starving. In the episode titled The Fever Factor with Stephanie White, the coach said, “I don’t doubt that Caitlin Clark is always hungry, but you are hungrier when you’re not able to participate. I think this season, she’s gained a new perspective, a new perspective.” Well, since Halloween is just around the corner, this reminds me of the perfect anecdote to back how driven CC’s always been.
Caitlin Clark would often abandon her dad in a full sprint through the Des Moines neighborhood, all in the name of Halloween candy, leaving Brent Clark to face his wife’s scolding for losing track of her. “When we trick-or-treated… I would be like, so sweaty under my costume because I was in a dead sprint from house to house,” she told David Letterman. “I had to have the most candy. That’s how I operated”.
Clark even learned to ride her bike the same day as her older brother because she refused to be left behind. For her that “I was trying to beat everybody,” mindset (as she called it) never really shut off. Even family card games got intense. “Then everybody hates me by the end of the night and I’m like, ‘Oh, great. I ruined Christmas!’” she’d joked.
And not to forget that Clark got her start in an all-boys basketball league. Being the only girl on the court never fazed her, but it did set into motion a defining trait: she absolutely despises losing. Last year, she grew tired of being thrown around in the league and so she added eight pounds of muscle. Now, for someone like that, imagine how frustrating it must be to not even participate. Imagine what sort of a 2026 season is awaiting us.
The added layer of how she’s been able to watch the game from a different perspective this season, how she’s turned into a coach of sorts only intensifies the imagination. “We have been able to watch her navigate that in the classy, mature way that she does everything else. And I have just continued to be impressed with how she pours into and leads this team.,” White further said.
We all know the saying “practice makes perfect,” but let’s not limit it. Athletes usually sharpen their tactical knowledge and decision-making through on-court practice and games, but honestly, it’s exhausting, risky, and not exactly ideal for dissecting every split-second decision. That’s where lab-based cognitive training comes in, especially video-based perceptual-cognitive exercises, letting players sharpen their brains without breaking a sweat, or an ankle.
Caitlin Clark has taken this to heart this season, evident from her coach-speak and sideline antics, pairing rigorous cognitive work with her relentless “hunger,” shifting from just executing plays to analyzing the game like a chess grandmaster. The result? A recipe for an explosive comeback. Think Sylvia Fowles in 2021, who went from never missing a game to sitting out 15 with the Lynx, turned into a full-time mentor, and came back ready to school everyone.
So, until Clark actually returns, don’t think she’s missing out on a “semis” experience. She is there, fully, in every play, every huddle, every corner of the court. Sprinkles of her presence are everywhere, on and off the floor. That said… can the Indiana Fever give her a finals too?
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Can the Indiana Fever shock the Las Vegas Aces again?
Nobody expected the Indiana Fever to topple the Las Vegas Aces. But the game had a surprise in store. If you’ve followed this Fever squad all season, though, you know they thrive when their backs are against the wall. And sure enough, they did it, winning Game 1, flipping the home court advantage on its head.
But now that all that’s in the past, there’s just one question: Can lightning strike twice? If we are to believe the analytics, the Fever has just a 37.5% chance of winning the game. But then again, before the last game, this percentage stood even lower at 36.3%.
In Game 1, Kelsey Mitchell proved nearly unstoppable. Why? Because she was simply too fast and skilled for anyone Las Vegas put on her. She found Natasha Howard open on rolls, hit tough shots over double-teams, and pushed the pace in transition before the Aces could set up. Even half-court defenders like Dana Evans and Jackie Young struggled to slow her down. For Vegas, the fix is straightforward, but difficult: tighter man-to-man defense and quicker footwork.
The Aces, coming off a dominant regular season, clearly have more in the tank, but creating high-quality shots for their stars was a problem in Game 1. Both teams were even in turnovers, fouls, and 3-point attempts, yet Vegas shot 10% worse from the field. A’ja Wilson remains a generational talent, but isolations aren’t enough. Incorporating her more into pick-and-rolls could exploit defensive switches and improve efficiency. Ball movement helps, but the Aces still rely too much on static isolations in the elbows and corners.