Losing in the first round is certainly not how Caitlin Clark wanted this season to end. And having a teammate like Kelsey Mitchell say that it’s hard to play with the pressure that comes with being on a team that has Caitlin Clark has certainly left Clark a little concerned. However, with “no eyeballs watching you,” the offseason now presents Clark with an opportunity to focus on improving her playmaking and skills, and as far as her teammate Mitchell is concerned, Clark hopes that she can continue to be part of one of the most dominant backcourt pairings in WNBA history.

“I think for us as a team, you know, obviously, I think inconsistency was our biggest issue this year…,” said Clark in a press conference.

“I think, obviously, on the defensive side, we have to improve offensively. I mean, I feel like we can still improve a lot, and we had the best offense in WNBA history.  So I think, like, obviously, that kind of goes back to my point about how important it is to get Kelsey back here and continue to do that with her.  Like, I still feel like in those areas, we could all improve on offense, but I think our main focus will be defensively…”

The Indiana Fever had a defensive rating of 109 this season, one of the league’s worst, according to StatMuse. The discrepancy between their offense and defense is clear: earlier in the season, they surpassed the WNBA record for the most losses in a season while scoring 100 or more points in a game.

So, for Clark and Co., the focus on improving individually on the defensive side is a step in the right direction.

“How can we construct a roster that’s going to give us a chance to be successful on the defensive side of the ball and then all of us individually becoming better defenders,” Clark added.

But it’s hard to see how Clark expects this Indiana side to improve even more offensively. The Fever already averaged the best PPG in the league, at 96. This season, Indiana has already surpassed the WNBA records for the most points in a single season, as well as the highest points-per-game average. The Fever amassed a staggering 4,222 points this season, recording 100 or more points 20 times.

Much of this blistering attack can be attributed to the backcourt pairing of Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, with Mitchell averaging 24.7 PPG, finishing second in the league in scoring charts, behind only A’ja Wilson. Clark followed closely behind, averaging 22.3 PPG and finishing second in the league in assists per game, at 8.3. In total points scored, Mitchell led the leaderboard with 1,086, ahead of Wilson’s 1,073.

Clark has also echoed a similar sentiment to her GM, Amber Cox, in saying that having Kelsey Mitchell back with the team would be their priority.

However, Clark is conscious of the effect she generates on and off the court. Indiana was the only team to have all of their 44 games on national television. And even beyond that, it’s no secret that Clark always remains at the center of the media’s attention. And this limelight sometimes takes a mental and emotional toll on the rest of Clark’s teammates.

“I saw Kelsey’s comments, and I think, as her teammate, it makes you upset because you care about your teammates so much and you don’t want any of them to go through something like that,” Clark said.

“I think for the people that have followed me, obviously there is such a microscope on me and that kind of comes with everybody else that I’ve been teammates with, whether that was my time at Iowa, whether that’s been here and it comes with a lot of really great things and then at times there can be some negatives.”

At this point, the Fever fans would love nothing more than keeping the duo of Clark and Mitchell on the team. With perhaps certain defensive additions and improvements, Indiana will hope to go beyond the first round in the postseason next year.