When the schedule of the WNBA 2026 dropped, the New York Liberty and defending champions Las Vegas Aces were the top favorites again. But after recovering from a 1-2 start to the season, with three successive wins and a free-scoring offense averaging 93.7 points per game, the Indiana Fever have emerged as surprise contenders. However, it comes as no surprise to an ESPN analyst who pinpointed the reason as the availability of one star player.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, which was shared on their X page, ESPN analyst Monica McNutt pointed out the Indiana Fever as one team people need to look out for when it comes to championship conversations. She said:

“The Fever are absolutely a team that you have to watch out for.” And for McNutt, “it partly has to do with Caitlin Clark and what she’s been able to do in terms of shooting and distributing the ball.”

Of course, Caitlin Clark has really shown her typical abilities more clearly so far this season. Throughout the five games she has played, she has put up MVP-caliber numbers, averaging 23.8 points per game. That makes her third in the league, with only Kelsey Plum and A’ja Wilson ahead of her. She is also leading the league in assist average with 9.0 assists per game.

Last season in 2025, Clark could only play 13 games due to injury. And even though her absence affected the team’s performance, they still went far enough to reach the WNBA semifinals and also won the Commissioner’s Cup. Now that she is back this season, it is interesting to see just how much difference she will make for this Fever team, especially when the playoffs eventually arrive.

As McNutt said, “I really wanna see how she holds up over the course of this season.”

Clark played an instrumental role in her team’s title chances throughout her career. Even in her collegiate career, she led the Iowa Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA Tournament Finals in 2023 and 2024, but they fell to LSU (102-85) and South Carolina (87-75), respectively. She will be expected to help the Fever win their second-ever title this season. However, for McNutt, Clark is not the only threat factor on this Fever team.

“Alongside her, you got Kelsey Mitchell who is still a bucket. You got Monique Billings who came in over the offseason and plays really well with Caitlin Clark.”

Kelsey Mitchell statistically had the best season of her career last season. And this season, she has been firing on as well, averaging 22.3 points per game. And Monique Billings, too, has absolutely met and exceeded the expectations the Fever had when they brought her in. No wonder McNutt believes that this Fever team will compete for the championship. As she said:

“This is the team that has everything you want when you are trying to compete for a championship. They got scoring. They got rim protection when you talk about Aliyah Boston, one of the most efficient bigs in the league. And they want to play fast, so they are putting teams on their heels, so they’re real contenders in my mind.” 

So far, the results point towards the fact that the Fever are actually on a serious championship journey. They have won four out of the six games they have played and are sitting atop the Eastern Conference. And right now, it appears that they have found their rhythm, having won their last three games in a row. Their next game comes up against the Golden State Valkyries on Friday. They will be hoping to continue their momentum with another win.

Have the Indiana Fever replaced the New York Liberty as the second-biggest championship favorites behind the Aces?

While the New York Liberty entered this 2026 WNBA season as one of the top two contenders for the championship, their results so far have not really reflected that. Of course, they started well, winning three of their first four games and scoring quite a lot of points in the process.

However, their last four games have not really reflected what they looked like during those opening performances. Specifically, they have now lost three games in a row, losing three out of their last four games overall. And notably, those losses all came at home.

Judging by this performance, it would not be an outright misplaced idea to at least question their status as top-two favorites. Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally’s absence has hurt them, but performance issues extend beyond roster gaps. Head coach Chris DeMarco’s new offensive and defensive system will take some time to synchronize with the roster fully. For veterans like Breanna Stewart, it is better to iron those issues out earlier in the season than later.

The Indiana Fever, on the other hand, with Caitlin Clark firing on all cylinders, have been in hot form. They have won their last three games in a row after a rather fluctuating start to the season. But then, even the two losses they have suffered this season are games that narrowly slipped through their hands. Their opener against the Dallas Wings will sting even more. Wings defeated the Fever 107-104.

Although it is still safe to say that there is not enough sample size yet, if the performances so far were any indication, it is definitely fair to start viewing the Fever as one of the top two contenders for the WNBA championship.