No longer is the Fever the down and out team that didn’t make it to the playoffs in a decade. Since adding Caitlin Clark to the roster, the Fever made the 2024 playoffs. 2025 was seemingly not their year with mounting injuries and yet Coach Stephanie White recalibrated in the absence of her biggest stars. The Aces led by the reigning MVP, A’ja Wilson routed them out of the playoffs. But even just falling short of the WNBA finals, the shorthanded Fever made an incredible storyline this season. Unfortunately, Caitlin Clark might just pay the price for it.

Jeff Teague usually is a big supporter of Caitlin Clark, though his comments this past August didn’t land right with CC’s fans. While Clark was still questionable after her quad injury, the Hawks star suggested that the Fever is better off without Clark’s “wild” three point shots. After Fever’s eliminated from the playoffs, Teague’s stance was more about CC’s return.

“This is a good thing for the Fever,” he said about the team making it that far without its biggest stars. “But it’s a challenge now. Y’all went this far without your superstar player and without Sophie Cunningham, right? If it’s a down season next year, that’s the kicker.“

Caitlin Clark was ruled out for the rest of the season in early September after day-to-day speculation on her return for almost two months. Her primary enforcer, Sophie Cunningham was ruled out in August after suffering a season-ending knee injury during a game. The Fever bounced back from the hardship with roster moves like signing Shey Peddy and Odyssey Sims on seven-day hardship contracts.

The next season will depend on the CBA but if Clark and Cunningham remain in Indiana, Teague predicts extreme pressure on them. “Are you shuffling the deck? Or you—I’m saying like if it’s a down season next year, I mean, obviously you building around Caitlin. She the face of the W. She the biggest, you know what I mean? But you got to bring back Odyssey Sims. If you don’t bring her back, it look crazy.”

Odyssey Sims, who previously played alongside Paige Bueckers in Dallas, became the savior for a resilient Indiana. She scored an astounding 27 points in Game 5 against the Aces though it wasn’t enough to carry the team through to the Finals.

Again, like Teague, many analysts believe that’s a good thing because the Fever is too understaffed to take on Mercury. They’re in rebuilding mode. Which, as Teague predicted, will add the pressure on CC and Soph.

Jeff Teague’s prediction depends on Fever’s stars returning

2026 is going to be dramatic for all WNBA teams, but more for Indiana. Caitlin Clark is not only the face of the franchise, but of the league too and her absence due to her injuries have impacted viewership and attendance. She’s also involved in CBA negotiations, the first round of which took place in Indiana. With the lockout rumors, who knows what could happen.

Fever, regardless, is determined to keep her around and rebuild around her. Whether Cunningham and Sims will be part of it is debatable. Moreover, Kelsey Mitchell just got injured in Game 5 and she was the primary backcourt with Aliyah Boston in CC’s absence.

Mitchell, Boston, and Sims were the reason the Fever went 24-20 against all odds, and make the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. While most didn’t want to watch the playoffs if Clark wasn’t playing, they tuned into the semifinals with awe of Fever’s resilience. Like watching the Pacers go down in Game 7 without Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana was once again emotional and proud even after their team was eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces 107-98 in overtime.

Clark, Boston and Makayla Timpson’s ongoing rookie deals make them the only players locked in for next year. Cunningham’s next focus is rehabbing her knee but she’s going to be a free agent in 2026. Other players too will go into free agency but almost nothing can be decided without the new CBA.

But Clark and Cunningham have shown readiness to continue in Indiana go farther. “So much to be proud of ❤️❤️ shoutout the fans for staying with us all year ❤️❤️🙏🏻 @IndianaFever,” Clark wrote in an X post after the Game 5 loss.

Cunningham though thrilled Indiana with her tweet. “Us. Can’t make this season up! So much to be proud of. You better believe we are coming for everybody next season,” she tweeted. That already looks like a promise to re-sign with Fever and also raise the bar that Teague claims is too high for them.

All we need is for the injured stars to get healthy again. It depends on Fever to figure out the roster now.