Caitlin Clark Crisis Fix Won’t Work This Time as DeWanna Bonner’s Absence Demands Alternative Move, Per National Reporter

Since May 28, the Fever have practically rolled out a welcome mat in the paint, giving up a league-high 39.1 points per game over the last nine outings. Coincidentally, or not, that stretch began right after Caitlin Clark sat out with a quad strain. Before that, Indiana was holding down the paint decently, allowing just 30.1, a stat good enough for third-best in the league. But before you connect the dots, there is probably no connection there, as Clark’s return hasn’t significantly improved the team’s interior defense. The paint’s still wide open like a 24/7 diner. And just like that, there are a lot of things that CC or her fixes alone cannot do for Indiana.

Before the season started, Stephanie White came out and said, “We control what’s inside our locker room.” But with blow after blow headed Indiana’s way, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Instead of a fiercely competitive and strong team, the Fever is currently sitting in the middle of the Eastern Conference, struggling to get above .500. A big part of that has been roster inconsistencies.

Indiana has been plagued by injuries and absences this year. The biggest and most notable was Caitlin Clark’s three-week-long quad strain. Then Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham joined in. And when things looked better for those three, DeWanna Bonner became unable to play due to personal issues. And recently came the array of questions. Did DeWanna Bonner delete her Instagram photos with the Fever? Is she off the roster? Did Natasha Howard really hit that “unfollow” button? And what in the mysterious Gainsbridge Fieldhouse happened to her banner? Well, no one knows fact from fiction right now.

As for Bonner’s official status? Officially, she’s been out for four games, citing “personal reasons.” And while there are players who could rise to the occasion, there’s no question the veteran’s absence is taking a toll. If Dantas exits as expected, things will only get worse, leaving the Fever with just nine active players. That’s barely enough to run a decent practice, let alone face off against the Storm. So, forget the swirling rumors for a second; there are way too many big problems staring Indiana in the face.

Rosalina Lee mapped out the entire issue on her YouTube channel. “I don’t think that they would sign Aari McDonald in this case. Because if Bonner does go down, then their front-court is dangerously thin, and is lacking a lot of talent.” She said, pointing out how McDonald will not be an easy band-aid this time around. Aari averaged around 11 points a game during her three-game tenure with the Fever, but this time? It’s simple math. You don’t bring in a five-foot-six guard to replace a six-foot-four forward/center.

The analyst talked about how the Fever front-court still has Natasha Howard manning the lines against the Storm, but she won’t be enough. On the opposite team are Gabby Williams, Nneka Ogwumike, and Dominique Malonga, too much for Howard to help with. “DeWanna Bonner hasn’t been shiny as much as she does in the past, but it’s still worth bringing her back than playing Turner again.” Lee said, and we get why!

The Fever have actually been pretty good at stopping fast breaks lately, giving up just 10.8 points per game there, which puts them in the top five. But that just means most of the damage is happening in half-court plays, and it’s not pretty. On Sunday, they had a five-point lead at halftime against the Aces, but it disappeared fast, and kind of like how their defense does in the paint.

Las Vegas scored 28 of its 53 second-half points right at the rim. That’s wild, considering they usually get only about 36% of their points from inside. In fact, those 28 points were the most the Aces have scored in any half this whole season. A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young had a great time, scoring 26 paint points between them, with 18 of those coming just in the second half. The Fever also kept fouling, handing out free throws just like that. This Fever team? They really shouldn’t be this easy to score on inside.

It’ll be interesting to see how Stephanie White’s squad tries to build some consistency moving forward. Their exact game plan for Tuesday’s matchup with Seattle is still under wraps, but one thing’s clear. DeWanna Bonner’s absence continues to leave a big gap, and it’s not getting any easier without her. And while Caitlin Clark isn’t the magic solution this time around, she’s also got a few issues of her own that need sorting.

“It’s frustrating,” Caitlin Clark gets candid about working through a slump

It’s always difficult as the primary scorer to not see your shot go in. For the last few games, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been experiencing this and more. Her shooting splits are down, and she recently shot a horrid 0-7 game from beyond the arc. So, how is the Indy superstar dealing with all of this?

Well, shooting slumps are nothing unheard of! When you’re a shooter like Caitlin Clark, you’re going to shoot the ball whenever open, and sometimes you’ll miss. CC gets that completely, and her last two games are a testament to this philosophy. She’s currently 1-17 from three in the last week, and it has been a struggle.

In a presser with the media, Caitlin Clark addressed the slump that she’s going through. “There are going to be stretches that are really good and there’s going to be stretches that aren’t as good, and obviously it’s frustrating as you want them to go in.” She said, challenging herself to pour into every other aspect of the game. “I’ve got to find a way to continue to shoot and remain confident in myself because I know I put the time in. But for me, I don’t feel like it’s anything that’s off, necessarily,”

The six-foot-tall point guard is the driving force behind the Fever’s offense, and her shooting slump is costing the team big time! It will be interesting to see how long CC will take to regain her confidence and start shooting from deep again, as that will determine how the season goes for Indiana.