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WNBA draft: How Iowa star Caitlin Clark could fit Indiana Fever lineup – IndyStar
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Fever are officially in the Caitlin Clark sweepstakes.
The Fever won the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft lottery for the second straight season Sunday afternoon, putting them in a prime position to take the highly touted guard out of Iowa.
The consensus national player of the year last season led Iowa to its first national championship appearance, averaging 27.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game. So far this year, Clark is averaging 29.5 points, along with 6.9 rebounds and 8.1 assists.
Clark could return to Iowa for a fifth season in 2024-25, as she has an extra year of eligibility because of the NCAA COVID-19 waiver. Fever GM Lin Dunn said Sunday that while she and coach Christie Sides will visit Clark, they won’t try to push the issue.
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Still, obviously, they hope she decides to go pro.
“It’s an extremely talented draft class,” Dunn said. “I think it’s deep, it has quality talent in all positions, point, wing, post. As I’ve said all along, I hope they all come out. They’ve all had four years, some of them five years of quality play in college, and they’re ready to move on to the next level.”
Like a glove.
Dunn said Sunday she is confident with 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston and 2022 No. 2 pick NaLyssa Smith in the frontcourt, so their most pressing issue is finding a complement to seven-year Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell.
“Kelsey Mitchell, our 2-guard, is one of the best 2-guards in this league, and she probably hasn’t gotten the recognition that she deserves because she’s been on a losing team,” Dunn said. “So now, if you asked me the most pressing question, it might be, well, who’s going to be on either side of Kelsey, who’s gonna be the 1, who’s gonna be the 3.”
When Dunn talked about filling in the lineup around Mitchell, she did not mention Erica Wheeler — who will be in the second season of a two-year contract. Wheeler was the Fever’s main point guard in 2023 and averaged 9.9 points, three rebounds and five assists per game.
The Fever had a rotation at the 3 position, as Lexie Hull, Victoria Vivians, and Kristy Wallace all started there.
“Caitlin Clark’s offensive game is pretty unmatched,” Hull said. “The shots she makes, the plays she makes are pretty incredible. It’s very impressive to watch, and exciting to potentially be on the other side of some of those crazy passes on the same team. To be part of games she goes off in would be really exciting.”
Clark started her career at Iowa as a true point guard, and she is still frequently at that position — as evidenced with her staggering assists total. But Iowa has moved her off the ball at times, giving her more opportunity to focus on shot-making. Either way, her versatility can work as a complement to Mitchell, allowing the Fever to run different lineups.
Iowa runs an offense that has a more traditional, back-to-the-basket post. The WNBA is becoming more positionless each year, but Boston, with expert footwork and fundamentals, is one of the WNBA’s most efficient players in the paint — enough to be able to catch Clark’s laser-like post-entry passes.
Where Clark has truly shined is her ability to create shots for her teammates. She has an innate ability for behind-the-back, no-look passes, something she perfected with former teammate and Iowa center Monika Czinano. The duo, which fans dubbed ‘The law firm of Clark and Czinano,’ also perfected pick-and-roll and lobs across the court.
Czinano graduated in 2023 after exhausting her eligibility, but this early season has shown Clark can feed any player in the post.
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Of course, who can forget the logo 3-pointers? Clark has shot 37% from beyond the arc in her college career, which is something the Fever desperately need — Mitchell was their only player to attempt over 100 3-pointers last year.
Not only can Clark shoot, but she can shoot far.
“What makes her so hard to guard is that you have to guard her as soon as she crosses halfcourt,” Fever guard Grace Berger said. “She is also big and quick, so you just have to guard her as hard as you can and hope she misses.”
Berger, an Indiana alum, played against Clark multiple times over three years. Now Berger hopes she’s on the same side.
“She’s a generational player,” Berger said. “She’s extremely talented, and I think watching her is one thing, but getting to play against her, I think you really get to see how special she is, how different she is, how talented she is. The things she does is not normal in our game, so I’m super excited to see what she does as a pro, hopefully for the Indiana Fever.”