Uncertainty has become the new normal in the WNBA. More than 100 players will likely have a new team, and the turbulence is only growing. One of the franchises most affected is the Indiana Fever, whose core pieces, including Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, and Lexie Hull, are all set to become free agents. But even with all these narratives playing out in the background, Caitlin Clark just offered fans a rare glimpse of the kind of leader she’s becoming.

While Clark continues to recover from the devastating groin injury that cut her 2025 WNBA season short just after 13 games, her offseason has been far from quiet. Instead, she’s found new ways to stay connected. Whether it’s by playing golf with teammates, engaging with fans through her nonprofit foundation, or just staying visible. The Fever star’s latest move did exactly that, leaving her teammate Shey Peddy taking to Instagram to give a shoutout to the 6-foot player.

Peddy, who joined the Fever franchise on a late-season hardship deal as they struggled with injuries, recently shared a story with five pairs of Clark’s Player Exclusive sneakers lined up neatly, with a heartfelt caption.

“S/O @caitlinclark22 for the blessings😮‍💨🔥,” Peddy wrote.

This winter, Peddy is returning to Athletes Unlimited Pro Basketball, set to tip off from February 4, 2026, where she was crowned the league’s 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. She finished 12th on the AU leaderboard with 3,741 points, anchored by six double-figure scoring nights and a season-high 20-point performance against Team Caldwell. It helped her secure a spot on AU’s All-Defensive Team and re-establish her reputation as one of the most reliable guards.

Peddy’s 2025 WNBA stat line also backs it up. While she began the year playing six games with the Los Angeles Sparks, she quickly became a critical late-season pickup for the Fever. She appeared in 17 games for the Indiana side and immediately hit double figures seven times, including a 20-point eruption against the Mystics during the playoff push.

Peddy wrapped her regular season, averaging 5.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. The box score reflected modesty on paper, but exactly the kind of stabilizing presence the Fever needed when their season practically turned upside down.

So when someone with that kind of pedigree turns around and publicly thanks Caitlin Clark, a second-year star still navigating the weight of her own spotlight, it says a lot. It tells you Clark’s influence isn’t only surface-level. It’s felt by the people who have been in this league long enough to recognise real leadership when they see it, which matters now more than ever, especially with the Fever heading into one of the most uncertain offseasons in franchise history.

CBA stalemate leaves Caitlin Clark’s team in limbo

Except for Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Makayla Timpson, the entire Indiana Fever roster, including Shey Peddy, will hit free agency. And the uncertainty about which players will rejoin and which won’t is only getting magnified by the ongoing CBA negotiations. The stalemate between the WNBA and the rest of the league has temporarily frozen the 2026 schedule and delayed key team-building timelines across the board.

While Clark has already made it clear that preparing for Team USA for the 2026 FIBA World Cup is her “top priority,” for now, with her senior national team camp debut set for December 12-14, she remains the Fever’s key player. And the franchise is bound to build its roster around her.

For the team, however, their main priority remains Kelsey Mitchell, who signed a one-year deal last offseason and helped push the Fever to the brink of the WNBA Finals, averaging 20.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.

“I’m going to sound like a broken record from last year,” GM Amber Cox told reporters back in October. “The priority will be Kelsey Mitchell and making sure she remains in a Fever jersey.”

Top Stories

Kansas City Reporter Erupts Against Travis Kelce for Choosing $100 Million Podcast Over Chiefs

Former Rams & Panthers Star Arrested for Burglary in Mississippi

Colin Kaepernick’s Wife Questions NFL Logic After Colts Sign 44-Year-Old QB Philip Rivers Over Kap

Kyle Busch’s Future in Limbo As Richard Childress Admits Exit Plans Amid NASCAR on Sale Rumors

Former Dallas Cowboys QB Offers to Unretire for Colts With Strong Comments on Philip Rivers

NFL Makes Decision Against Joe Burrow & Bengals With Week 16 Announcement

But until the WNBA and the WNBPA land on a financial structure they’re both happy with, the Fever, just like the rest of the league, are stuck waiting!