A steady stream of workout clips, training videos, and commercials had built plenty of buzz for the Indiana Fever’s 2025 season opener. Fans were more than ready to see breakout star Caitlin Clark take center stage. Well, they did see her—just not quite how they’d hoped: on the sidelines, hoodie on, sneakers clean. The team had confirmed before the game that Clark was out with a minor injury. Nothing serious, but the franchise wasn’t about to roll the dice on Day 1. Now, while her absence did not dampen either expectations or results, Clark, being Clark, just could not stay uninvolved. As cringe as it might sound, CC might very well be Catalyst Clark.
She acted just like an ‘interim’ head coach for the game. And fans, of course, cheered loudest whenever she was on the big screen. It might have been just a preseason game to many, but one just cannot deny her playmaking abilities even off the court. She even played a quiet role in keeping Mitchell with the Fever, so doesn’t that say a lot? “Then I met one of the greatest people in the world, Caitlin Clark, who just ran the basketball world,” Mitchell had said and god knows how many thank you letters it must have received for putting pieces into their right places.
So, when the Washington Mystics led at the end of the first half, how could CC sit quietly? She was visibly restless on the bench, trying to pass on her game-readings on the floor. While she couldn’t enter the game, she was actively involved in it. And she was seen providing her input during breaks and timeouts. When asked about it, Kelsey Mitchell smiled broadly.
“Even with Caitlin being out today, her pg leadership was vital down the stretch when we were losing.” Kelsey answered in the press conference. “We heard her voice, we heard how in tuned she was.”
And yes, Caitlin could be seen interacting with all the stars on the court. Her ‘PG’ leadership, indicating point guard instincts, must have dictated of the offensive flow of the game, even if through just motivating words. A few fans also captured a video of CC talking to the players as they returned to the bench. And you must remember her pointed gestures at the referee. Yeah, that’s how intensely invested she was. Why wouldn’t she be?
Kelsey on Caitlin’s leadership: “Even with Caitlin being out today, her pg leadership was vital down the stretch when we were losing. We heard her voice, we heard how in tuned she was…” pic.twitter.com/aHTWLnlHVk
— drafts (@drafts95452567) May 3, 2025
Coach White was also pleased with the new role CC took over. During the post-game press conference, she said, “First of all, her communication was outstanding. You know, seeing different things on the floor and being able to communicate that in the huddle.” So, she passed with flying colors in another test in a different role as Coach White had already stated the importance of communication in the game right from the start of her tenure at the Fever franchise.
Yes, yes, as for the updates on her injury, White provided a relieving update there, too. “As far as status update, she had a lot of progress in the last 24 hours, and that was our goal,” White said. “Our goal is to see how she progresses everyday, so we’ll see what happens and see how she feels after the workout she went through today. Hopefully she’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
But don’t get it wrong—Clark is just as much a listener as she is a speaker. She’s been picking DB’s brain for a while now, asking her to share her ‘winning secrets.’ Fair to say that White has locked herself with a treasure. With the team now wanting to win not just for the sake of accolades, but also for the ‘Mama Bear’ DeWanna Bonner, White has her hands full in the best manner possible.
Stephanie White looks to experiment with lineups before the start of the season
White had already sent a warning to the rest of the WNBA teams on Monday, saying, “As far as the teams that I’ve coached in the W, it’s the deepest, most talented roster I’ve been a part of“. What she said further hinted at experiments she wanted to make: “You look at the depth of this roster and the opportunity to play with a lot of different lineups and in a lot of different ways”.
Clark had too echoed the same thought, saying, “Everybody knows we have so much talent, but at the same time, you’ve got to put that together…It’s not going to be like, alright, you have all these great players, you step out on the court, it’s going to work. It’s going to take a little bit of time to figure things out, figure out how everybody works with one another.”
And with the game against the Mystics, Stephanie White got to experiment a bit we can say. She put in the new starting five for the game with Kelsey Mitchell, Sydney Colson, DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Aliyah Boston on the floor. The Washington Mystics took advantage of ‘newly formed five’ and were leading in the game for most of the game, but the Fever side made a strong comeback late in both halves.
With Caitlin Clark out of the rotation, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham earned more minutes. They delivered an all-around game, handing the side an edge in the close contest. Hull scored 13 points and was active in defence, leading the side with four steals. Cunningham scored a game-high 21 points and two assists.
Two-thirds of the Fever’s star trio, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, were hardly involved in most of the plays as they were looking to set screens and build chemistry with the rest of the side. Still, Mitchell chipped in with 12 points, and Boston’s key assist on a layup late in the third quarter must have definitely amped up the coach’s hopes. So, the Indiana Fever’s side, which is a very balanced mix of veterans and skilled youngsters showed flashes of brilliance that can propel them to the top. Building a relationship between new and returning players was White’s topmost priority and it was on display in the game.
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