WNBA general managers are not convinced with the Indiana Fever hype. The Fever have Caitlin Clark returning to the fold after an injury-prone 2025 season, joining an improved Aliyah Boston. They have retained most of their 2025 talent that got them to the semifinals. Yet, the GMs think otherwise, ranking the Fever as the 4th best young core, behind Dallas ,Seattle and Washington. But analyst Noa Dalzell disagrees and she has laid out the argument for Fever to top the charts. 

“I think I would have picked the Indiana Fever because you have Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, back-to-back Rookies of the Year,” Dalzell said on ‘WNBA Today on CLNS’. “I think they would have been my pick. So, I’m surprised they only earned 15% of general manager votes.”

The GMs themselves had Indiana Fever as the best young core with 50% of the votes last year. ESPN agreed, rating Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston as a deadly duo along with Lexie Hull and Mikayla Timpson. So, what changed this year? Clark’s recurring injuries in 2025 could have eroded the confidence among the GMs. 

But there is a solid argument that it is not as big of a concern this year. Clark has proved her fitness by winning MVP at Team USA Qualifiers and averaging 13.3 points and 4 assists in 3 preseason games, which makes this enormous swing even more questionable. 

They have also added Raven Johnson as the No. 10 pick in the mix this year. Johnson adds a completely different dimension with her leadership, defense and creativity. She has shown to be more than ready for the big leagues in the preseason games as well. 

In comparison, the Wings’ core consists of Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James, JJ Quinnerly and 2026 No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd. The Storm have a strong foundation with Awa Fam, Dominique Malonga and Flau’jae Johnson, while the Mystics are banking on Lauren Betts, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, among others. 

While all three teams above the Fever have talented players, nobody has yet proved themselves in the WNBA apart from Paige Bueckers. It is a projection-heavy upside of the other teams compared to Indiana’s proven mettle.

Clark broke the assist record as a rookie and is a two time all star, one-time All-WNBA. Boston is a three-time all star and All-Defensive second team along with All-WNBA honors. There is a solid argument that the Fever remain the best young core in the league as well. Despite the scrutiny around her game and doubts around her long-term durability, Clark remains hungry but with a controlled approach this time around. 

Caitlin Clark Reveals Approach To Navigate Scrutiny Ahead Of Third WNBA Season

It feels like Caitlin Clark’s arc is rolling back to when she was entering the league. Despite being the college superstar and arguably the greatest college basketball player in history, Clark was told the “reality” is coming. She was scrutinized for her turnover problems, lack of physicality and overall underrated. The point guard proved them all wrong. 

Now, after an injury-prone season, it feels like Clark has returned to that. ESPN ranked her as the 10th best player in the league, the Athletic left her out of the All-WNBA first team, and the WNBA GMs put Chelsea Gray as the best point guard in the league above Clark. And overwhelmingly Grey got 73% of the votes. Last year they voted Clark with 50% of the votes. So, there is a lot of subtle criticism telling Clark that she is not as good as she once was. Through this, Clark remains hungry to prove them wrong.

“I think people forget that at the end of the day I care more than all of you. I want to be the best, and I’m always analyzing my play and trying to find ways to be better,” Clark said. “I can always say to allow myself grace, but you always have that fire and hunger inside you to want to be better. You’re a perfectionist, and you get irritated when it doesn’t go your way.”

However, after a year sitting on the sidelines, Clark has matured. She now recognises the value of not getting hung up on failures. 

“That’s the great thing about the W. It’s game to game to game,” Clark further said. “You’re going to play three to four games a week, and you always have an opportunity to turn the page and move on to the next one. I’m just reminding myself of that and reminding myself how lucky I am to be out there playing.”

Regardless, these murmurs should work as motivation for the Indiana Fever team. They were also written off because of the injuries last year and persevered regardless. So, it’s not a new position for Caitlin Clark and Co.