Can Caitlin Clark Lead the Fever to a WNBA Title This Season?

Can Caitlin Clark lead the Fever to a WNBA title and will Caitlin Clark lead the Fever to an WNBA title are two completely different questions.

Let’s start with the first question in which my answer is yes, she’s very capable of leading her team on a deep postseason run. For starters, Indiana has already clinched a playoff berth, its first since 2016. The Fever have been arguably the hottest team coming out of the All-Star break with a 6-1 record and wins over some of the league’s top teams.

Over that span, they rank No. 2 in offensive rating, just 0.6 behind the Lynx, No. 3 in net rating and No. 1 in points per game (91.1%). Indiana also ranks first in 3-point attempts (29.1), makes (11.9) and percentage (40.7%) since the break. The playoffs are often about which teams are playing their best basketball at the right time and the Fever are certainly at the top of that list.

Indiana’s style of play is also a major factor in its recent success and could be a key matchup advantage depending on their postseason opponent(s). If the season ended today, the Fever would earn the No. 6 seed and play the No. 3 Lynx in the first round. Minnesota plays at the eighth slowest pace, so Indiana’s ability to force the Lynx into an uptempo style that they’re not used to could spell trouble for the higher seed.

In a best-of-three first-round series, the Fever certainly have the skill and momentum it takes to upset their opponent. So, yes, Clark can lead her team to a deep run.

According to BetMGM, the market echoes that sentiment. Within the last week, the Fever’s title odds have moved from +4000 to +2000. They hold the highest ticket percentage (43.9%) and handle percentage (59.7%) of any team, which also makes them the books biggest liability at the end of the season.

That said, will hoisting the Championship trophy in her rookie season become a reality?

I think we need to pump the breaks on that.

For as talented as Clark is, she’s still a rookie. Asking her to lead her team through multiple postseason series that will be littered with veteran experience is too tall of a task. The Fever as a whole are also really young with Aliyah Boston in just her second season and Lexi Hull in her third. Head coach Christie Sides also doesn’t have any experience leading a team in the playoffs. In her first postseason at the helm of an organization, she’ll be outcoached by the likes of Cheryl Reeves and Becky Hammon, should their teams meet.

There is a bright future ahead for Caitlin Clark and the Fever. One that likely has multiple championships in its future. But despite the odds shifting in its favor, Indiana won’t win the title this season.

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