For Caitlin Clark’s teammate Sydney Colson, leaving the Las Vegas Aces after three solid seasons — including two championships and a Commissioner’s Cup — was a tough call. “In the offseason, it was obviously a tough decision for me. I’ve been with the Aces for so long, and we did some amazing things together as a team,” she said in the Good Follow podcast. In the end, her move to the Fever turned out to be a smart decision.

She went on to play 30 games, averaging 2.4 points and 2 assists in 13.5 minutes per game, before suffering the second ACL injury of her career in a match against this year’s eventual runners-up, the Phoenix Mercury. Still, Colson managed to add another championship to her resume by winning the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, proving that for the 36-year-old, her faith had guided her to exactly the right place.

Colson took to Instagram to sum up her season, saying, “What a season! Genuinely enjoyed this team and what we did on the court & in the showers! I knew in the offseason that God was placing me where I needed to be to grow & learn some necessary lessons & that’s exactly what happened. And at the end of the day, I earned one more championship and one more ACL so life is good.” Her post leaves fans questioning what’s next, as she enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

She also teased about something else on the Good Follow podcast with Rosalyn Fatima Gold-Onwude as she continues to recover from her ACL injury. Colson, who was briefly without a WNBA team after her rookie season with the Liberty, had stints as an assistant coach at Texas A&M, her alma mater, and Rice University. When asked if she enjoyed coaching, she said:

“Oh, I enjoyed it so much. I think same for when I’ve played. I enjoy the relationship aspect of everything I do more than the like actual thing typically. So, coaching was cool. It was fun. Like playing basketball is cool and it’s fun, but it’s the people that I get to meet and interact with and the way that human interaction like y’all can change one another’s lives just by something you say, something you do. So, it was more about that me being able to impact young women.”

You can probably guess what we’re hinting at — Colson as a coach moving forward! This doesn’t necessarily mean she’ll retire before next season, but it’s easy to picture a future where she steps back into coaching. Plus, her return to Indiana seems unlikely. Why?

Well, for starters, the Fever had five season-ending injuries, including key players like Caitlin Clark, Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham, Aari McDonald, and Chloe Bibby. To fill the gaps, the team had to rely on several hardship-contracted players, all of whom stepped up admirably, including Odyssey Sims and Shey Peddy.

Now, heading into the offseason, the Fever have just three players on guaranteed contracts: Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Makayla Timpson. It’s wild, but apart from rookies, the only other players in the league with guaranteed contracts for next season are Mercury’s Kalani Brown and Seattle’s Lexie Brown. That’s the reality the current CBA negotiations have created. Change is on the horizon, and how the Fever shape up next season will depend heavily on it.

With the current roster size capped at 12 and the Fever ideally looking to start the season with four guards like they did this season, you’d expect those spots to go to Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Aari McDonald, and Odyssey Sims. Whether Indiana can actually secure all four remains to be seen, but that would likely be their target. Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull would be two more players the Fever front office would be eager to bring in. That makes it unlikely that Colson will be a priority for the team next season.

You have to understand, not many teams would be willing to take a chance on a 36-year-old coming off an ACL injury. But experience is priceless, and with two new teams joining the league next season, it wouldn’t be surprising if one of them pursued the two-time WNBA champion.

That experience proved invaluable for the Fever this season, helping them reach the semifinals against all odds. Colson also shared a few words of advice for Caitlin Clark as she recovers from her groin injury, which limited her to just 13 appearances this year.

Sydney Colson Opens Up About the Advice She Gave Caitlin Clark

Heading into her sophomore season, many expected the Indiana guard to build on her impressive rookie campaign and even be in the MVP conversation. But three injuries ensured that never happened. She finished the season with a dip in her numbers, averaging 16.5 points on 36.7% shooting from the field.

Before this, Clark had never dealt with an injury, so navigating the season sidelined was completely new for her. Through it all, Colson was there to guide her. On the same podcast, she shared her advice: “Make sure you’re still being vocal. You don’t want to lose this time with your teammates. Don’t let it be a wasted season because you can’t physically contribute. To see her being jovial and lighthearted, I don’t think that was a side people saw a lot last season.”

Clark made sure she was there for her teammates every game, even if she couldn’t contribute on the court. She cheered, guided, and lifted spirits, proving her impact went beyond stats. Hopefully, next year she’ll be fully fit and ready to wow everyone again, just like she did in her rookie season.