For Caitlin Clark, there’s a pressure that haunts her even while on the bench.. Imagine being expected to carry not just the Fever but the whole WNBA! That’s a lot to handle. So, some people have even called her the Taylor Swift of the league, and Fever coach Stephanie White agrees because she knows being the face of the WNBA comes with a lot of weight. Worse, whenever a controversy pops up, Clark’s name seems to get pulled in, often in ways that aren’t fair.

Fever head coach made this comment during the Fever Insider podcast, as she sat alongside Chloe Peterson and Brian Haenchen. As she puts it, “It literally is like Taylor Swift 2.0. And because of that, her name gets thrown into a lot of conversations that have absolutely nothing to do with her, or her interests, or our team, or sport, or whatever. And she is a 23-year-old kid who loves to play this game, who loves her teammates, who loves to compete at a high level.” 

The sad reality is that the Fever star’s name gets into every other controversy. White’s comment becomes even more crucial when looking at the current chaos between the players and the administration.

“Her name grabs attention; her name is clickbait. Her name is utilized in a way that very few people and athletes are. It’s in the same sphere as LeBron (James), as Serena Williams, as Tiger Woods, as Taylor Swift. I wish that Caitlin were able to just live her life however. But with the things that she’s accomplished, there’s a lot of responsibility and a lot of attention that comes. Because she’s elite at what she does,” White continues.

A prime example of this name-dragging was Collier using Caitlin Clark’s name to take shots at the WNBA commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. It soon turned into a ‘he said, she said’ situation, all at the expense of the Indiana star. While at first Clark refused to offer any comments on this issue, she later took the side of Collier, minus her topic. But the noteworthy point here is that the Lynx star did not mention it to Clark before her expose.

Through it all, White praises the maturity CC is showing at her age. As she puts it, “She handles it in a way that I’m not sure most 23-year-olds would. I’m really proud of her.” The Fever head coach went on to praise Clark’s family for raising her as a person to look up to. And in comparison to Taylor Swift, someone Clark looks up to, White paints the sad reality of the WNBA. And like a battle-hardened warrior, Clark is gracefully accepting the pressure that will come her way.

“There are always expectations and pressure to perform, and at the end of the day, we play basketball because we love it and we’ve done it all our lives. And I think just reminding ourselves of that, we understand the spotlight, we understand people expect this team to win, and that’s exactly what we want to do for our fans and for this organization. But I think me personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Caitlin Clark said about the upcoming 2026 season.

While this comment talks about her upcoming season, it also subtly reflects how she’s ready for the upcoming challenges. It will be a long time since her fans will see her compete on the court. But Stephanie White recently gave a promising update on Clark’s recovery timeline.

Stephanie White gives a positive update on Caitlin Clark’s injury recovery

After months of anticipation, fans finally have a promising update on Clark’s road to recovery. Nearly three and a half months since her injury, the Indiana Fever star is reportedly right on schedule. Fever head coach Stephanie White confirmed that Clark remains on track to return to full 5-on-5 action by the end of October.

Speaking to Chloe Peterson, White revealed that Clark has already begun ramping up her on-court work. The Fever guard has been easing back into basketball activities through controlled 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 sessions. She’s gradually rebuilding her rhythm and confidence as she moves closer to full competition. Caitlin Clark is currently eyeing recovery and training for Team USA and the 2026 WNBA season rather than playing for other leagues in the offseason.

As White puts it, “We’re not jumping into anything that’s too much.” Fever head coach is emphasizing the importance of a cautious, week-by-week approach. The team’s focus, she adds, is on ensuring Clark develops endurance and avoids any setbacks as she builds a solid foundation for her complete return to game action. It is possible that Indiana staff do not want to repeat the same mistake of putting Clark in action before she fully heals.