Is it fair to say that the Indiana Fever’s win-now blueprint has been disrupted by a simple quadriceps strain? Stephanie White’s attempt at conducting a beautiful offensive symphony came to a stop with Caitlin Clark’s injury, pushing the team’s leading facilitator off to the side for at least two weeks. Of course, there’s palpable fear in the air, and a sense of nervousness in Indiana. Without CC, the Fever have plenty of holes in their backcourt that need to be addressed, but do they have the talent to do so?
The short answer is both yes and no. Indiana has both Sophie Cunningham and Sydney Colson in terms of depth at the one, but neither of them has the same court vision and IQ as Clark. In terms of pure ball rotation and fundamental facilitation, no one in the W will be able to replace the Fever’s biggest star.
However, according to Seerat Sohi from The Ringer WNBA Show, Clark’s injury might have been a blessing in disguise for the Gainbridge-based team. What they will have to do, however, is change their style of play drastically! “I think they’ll probably play slower. I think they’ll play a little bit more of a half-court oriented game,” Sohi pointed out, attributing the changes to Caitlin Clark’s absence.
But how is it a blessing in disguise? Well, Seerat Sohi touched upon it briefly. “It’s a good opportunity not only for Aliyah Boston, but I think for DeWanna Bonner who has not been able to find her way in the offense so far,” she said.
The offensive reins moving towards Boston is expected to be a natural transition. And going by the clip shared by Fever beat reporter Scott Agness, she is taking it in with a stride too– working with development coach Keith Porter on wading off defense and getting those layups after practice. But for Bonner, this could be a real opportunity to step up.
Moving from Connecticut, the 15-year vet has admitted struggling with the adjustment in the new city. She has been on and off the starting rotation, too, managing 10 points across the first four games. But when Clark moved courtside for the Mystics game, Bonner showed up and showed out. She led the team with 21 points and added 4 rebounds alongside 3 steals. But of course, she won’t be the only one benefiting.
After Caitlin Clark’s injury, the bulk of the offensive responsibility will lie in the frontcourt with Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard, who will have to pick up the slack. “Once you take Caitlin out of the equation, most of the creation ability for the Fever, and the playmaking, is actually in the front-court…And I think that it actually unlocks a lot of opportunities for the Fever.”
Stephanie White is also experimenting bringing Sydney Colson into the rotation for point guard while Sophie Cunningham remains next in line. It comes as an opportunity to move away from overreliance on Clark, who has been averaging 19 points and 9.3 assists (the next in line boasts 2.6) and the Fever aren’t shying away from embracing it.
Caitlin Clark’s new teammate has a positive spin on the unfortunate injury
The simple truth is that Caitlin Clark will be MVP one day soon. Her game, although slightly dependent on making her teammates better, has completely transformed the Indiana Fever into genuine playoff contenders in just her sophomore year. She is a pure, pass-first point guard, and the league is better off having her play! But her injury has thrown a spanner in the works of the Fever, as some important offensive clarifications needed to be made.
For example, who runs the ball? Frankly, only one name comes to mind, and that’s Sophie Cunningham. No one’s expecting Colson to run point in Clark’s absence, however, the six-foot-one guard’s 0-assist game against the NY Liberty does not inspire much hope in her facilitation or ball rotation either. But Cunningham has the benefit of experience behind her, and she doesn’t seem worried at all about Clark’s injury.
May 4, 2025; Iowa City, IA, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham (8) reacts during the third quarter against the Brazil National Team at Carver-Haweye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Fever guard views it as a genuine opportunity for the team to get better! “It’s a great opportunity for us to learn offense,” she said. “Move the ball, pass, cut. We just can’t stand and watch anymore. I think it’s going to be good for us to actually get into our action.” And it’s true. Because with Clark expected to be out until at least June 9th, their offense immediately loses a bit of its vigor. Cunningham will most likely be handling the ball a lot more, and she seems excited for it! “If I’m handling the ball, that’s the kind of offense I want to play in,” the six-foot-one guard said.
It will be interesting to see how the Indiana Fever manage with such an impactful injury. The season has just begun, and there’s a lot of time before any playoff berths are decided. Indiana is expected to make a deeper playoff run this year, and we can’t wait to see it in action!
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