Caitlin Clark Leads the Way in Honoring Fever’s Latest Signees in WNBA First

The Indiana Fever made WNBA history on August 11, becoming the first team in the league to officially sign athletes from Special Olympics Indiana to their roster. It was a symbolic gesture, one-day contracts that wouldn’t involve game time, but, in line with former Fever coach Lin Dunn’s belief that “Indiana has always been a leader in girls’ sports,” the organization made sure the day was unforgettable for the five new signees.

After practice, head coach Stephanie White and the team rolled out a red-carpet-style welcome. Even sidelined players Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson, both recovering from season-ending injuries, were present in supportive gear. Caitlin Clark, also without a set return timeline due to a groin injury, was on the court, first playfully messing with Colson about her crutches before calling out to her teammates, “We’re signing new teammates come on. Are you guys excited?” The room answered with cheers and applause.

Each Special Olympics athlete signed their contract, proudly held up a personalized Fever jersey, and soaked in the moment as if it were draft night, complete with a VIP experience that included joining the Fever for practice and picking up gear from the team store. During the ceremony, Clark was front and center, clapping, cheering, and rallying for each signee, along with the team. But the most telling of all were perhaps the two words she shared when the photos of the event made it to social media. 

“My heart”, CC commented on the announcement. We already knew something special was incoming from Clark’s earlier hint, but no one could have predicted it would be the signing of athletes from Special Olympics Indiana—an NGO that’s part of the global Special Olympics movement, which uses sport, health, education, and leadership programs to end discrimination against and empower people with intellectual disabilities.

The organization is home to more than 19,000 athletes and Unified partners, supported by 10,000 coaches and volunteers, and now, with this gesture, the Fever are part of that network. This isn’t even their first interaction with Special Olympics Indiana. In the second week of July, the Fever hosted athletes at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where they posed for photos, got autographs, and hyped up the team in the high-five line before tipoff.

Still, officially signing them marked a major leap forward. The moment was especially meaningful for Maddie Long, one of the signees, who hasn’t missed a single Caitlin Clark game since Clark’s Iowa days. “@IndianaFever team & employees were so generous w/their time making it a day of a lifetime,” her father, Scott Long, shared. From Iowa to Indiana, Maddie was often spotted in a No. 22 jersey, but now, she has her own in Fever blue. It was perhaps the kind of wholesome moment the Fever needed in the middle of a season plagued by injuries, but sentiment alone can’t fill the gaps on the court.

With Clark, McDonald, and Colson all sidelined, and the trade deadline already passed on August 7, the team had no choice but to bring in veteran guard Odyssey Sims on a seven-day hardship contract, a deal that can only be renewed twice. Even with Sims, backcourt depth remains thin, and with the roster down to just nine active players, the Fever will need someone to step up while Clark races the clock for a playoff return. The reality remains just as challenging.