It was almost prophesied that Brent Clark and Anne Nizzi’s children would make history. Inducted into the Hall of Fame as a basketball and baseball player, Brent was already a staple in the state’s sporting scene. Even Anne’s father, Bob Nizzi, had been a big name in the area for his contributions as a high school football coach at West Des Moines Dowling Catholic, one of Iowa’s large-school programs. But for young Caitlin, it also meant a tough choice she had to make as someone who excelled at both sports. Ultimately (and thankfully), in her sophomore year, the future basketball star decided she enjoyed one particular sport above all the rest. And, boy, has that served her well.

Already making history at Iowa with her performances and viewership records, it was as if the WNBA was silently bidding its time to experience the same “Caitlin Clark effect”. And just four months after being drafted No. 1 overall, it was clear that the wait had been worth the while. In a game vs the Seattle Storm in August last year—a 92-75 win when Clark was already scoring at least 20 points in five of her last six games, while averaging 23.7 points on 47% shooting from the field, and 11.7 assists—the Rookie of the Year made history.

With nine assists during the contest to reach 232 overall, the player broke the WNBA’s single-season rookie record for assists, surpassing Ticha Penicheiro’s previous rookie record of 224 set in 1998. And a year later, the community still can’t forget it. Taking to X on Sunday, Polymarket Hoops commemorated the anniversary, writing, “Caitlin Clark on this day in 2024: 23 PTS 5 REB 9 AST 3 STL + BLK Broke the WNBA record for the most assists in a rookie season.” But while that is already a reason for celebration, things got even more interesting shortly after… Less than a week after signing point guard Kyra Lambert amid Clark’s injury absence, the Indiana Fever have released her.

But how is that even related to Clark? Well, her release has fans buzzing with an ambitious theory: Did White clear out the roster spot to accommodate Clark in the lineup again?

Clark’s return becomes the question after Fever’s latest update

Fans had mixed emotions after the Fever waived Kyra Lambert. One summed it up best: “I’m not getting my hopes up until we hear anything officially official but thank you Kyra Lambert for a very impactful 4 seconds 🙏🙏 we will remember you fondly.” The Fever themselves haven’t tied her release to Caitlin Clark’s potential return, or even addressed it at all. But that hasn’t stopped fans from connecting dots. And there’s reason enough. As Chloe Peterson of IndyStar reported earlier, Indiana would eventually need to waive either Odyssey Sims or Lambert to make room for Clark. And with Sims’ 7-day contract renewed on Sunday, it was Lambert who drew the short straw.

Another fan put it bluntly: “The fact that across 2 games she got literally < 1 minute told me she wasn’t going to work out. They used her in practice and wasn’t a good fit. On to the next. I don’t think this actually correlates to CC’s return as much as it was non-fit on the roster.” Notably, Stephanie White had initially praised Lambert’s preparation, speed, and quickness when she was signed, saying, “[Lambert’s] ability to get downhill, she’s got some speed and quickness as well,” White added. ” It’s also worth noting here that when Lambert was signed, many thought the Fever were going to part ways with Sims since she finished with just 0 points in 13 minutes in her Fever debut.

Then there was one fan who dropped the big question: “Is this the return????👀👀👀” The Coach hasn’t given any timeline for Caitlin Clark, and the Fever are staying quiet too. Still, White “hopes” that Clark will return before the regular season ends in less than a month. “The hope is that she’s back. The most important thing is that she’s 100% when she’s ready to come back,” White told reporters ahead of the matchup against Connecticut. At the same time, she also suggested that they are in no hurry because the present setbacks are a result of earlier mishaps. “The timing is never ideal, but long-term health and wellness is the most important thing,” White added.