One of the most exciting storylines heading into the 2026 WNBA season is the return of a fully healthy Caitlin Clark. The Indiana Fever came painfully close to a championship run last year before their season ended in the semifinals, and many believed Clark’s absence played a massive role in that outcome. So with their franchise star finally back and healthy, Fever fans have every reason to feel confident entering the new season. But just a day before Indiana tips off its regular season opener, one former athlete has sparked a conversation that many fans probably never expected to hear.

What if Indiana actually looked harder to guard without Clark on the floor? That was the bold take former college basketball player and analyst Lawrencia Moten delivered during an appearance on ESPN.

“This is my hot take,” she said. “Honestly, the Indiana Fever played some of their best team basketball without Caitlin Clark.”

While this statement naturally raised many eyebrows, Moten explained that Clark’s ball-dominant style, while obviously elite, sometimes made Indiana’s offense easier for opponents to prepare against because everything revolved around stopping one player.

“She’s like the sun that offense kind of orbits around,” she continued. “The ball is constantly in her hands, which just made their offense extremely easy to guard.”

But since Caitlin Clark went down with injuries last season after 13 games, Moten believes the Fever unexpectedly discovered a more balanced offensive identity under head coach Stephanie White.

“Without her in the lineup, Stephanie White had to decide who else was going to get in the mix, and their offense became so much more diverse. We saw Kelsey Mitchell have a tremendous season. Lexie Hull got in the fold. Aliyah Boston had another dominant season. All because they had to do it without Caitlin Clark, and that made their offense extremely hard to guard,” the analyst further added.

To be honest, her claim is backed by some facts. Despite losing their franchise star for most of the year, the Fever still managed to push all the way to the WNBA semifinals and took the Las Vegas Aces to a Game 7. They haven’t done that since 2015. A huge reason for that was Kelsey Mitchell, who stepped into another level offensively.

With Clark sidelined, Mitchell became the centerpiece of Indiana’s attack and delivered one of the best seasons of her career. The three-time All-Star averaged a career-high 20.5 points per game while shooting 45.3% from the field and eventually became just the fifth player in WNBA history to score at least 850 points in a single season.

But besides that, even if we compare the 2024 (where Caitlin Clark played the full season) and 2025 seasons, the results do back up Moten’s claim:

But let’s be clear, a lot of factors besides Caitlin Clark’s availability affected this outcome.

For starters, the Clark that entered the league in 2024 was still a rookie, and no matter how great a player you are in college, it takes time to adjust to the professional level. And then, when 2025 came, Indiana’s overall structure looked significantly different as well.

The Fever underwent a major coaching shift after bringing back Stephanie White, who previously spent six seasons with the organization as both an assistant and head coach. Her arrival gave Indiana a much clearer offensive identity and helped unlock more flexibility within the roster.

Then there were veteran players like Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner, who brought championship experience and two-way versatility that the younger 2024 Fever roster simply did not have. Sophie Cunningham was another great addition to the 2025 roster, who added floor spacing and toughness in the frontcourt.

So while on paper it may look like the Fever played better without Caitlin Clark on the floor, the reality is probably far more layered than that.

But Lawrencia Moten has ignited a debate that few people saw coming, but this is not really the time to dwell on the past. The Fever are now just a day away from kicking off their 2026 campaign, and with expectations higher than ever, let’s take a look at what this team looks like for this season.

Caitlin Clark’s Return Changes Everything for Indiana Fever

The Fever are no longer walking into a season hoping to become contenders. That part is already over. After surviving one of the most injury-riddled campaigns in their history last year, this team will now enter looking like a team that genuinely believes a championship is within reach.

At the center of everything, of course, is Clark herself. But this time, coach White is trying to move away from the plays where Clark gets the ball in her hands for every possession, like in her rookie year.

Last season forced this team to learn its ways without its star player, and they don’t plan to let go of the growth they saw during that time. Now add a healthy Caitlin Clark back into that mix, and suddenly the Fever offense looks far more dangerous than before.

But the Fever did not stop there, and they got Raven Johnson in the WNBA draft.

The former South Carolina guard has the potential to quietly become one of the most important additions on this team because she gives Indiana something it desperately needed last season: perimeter defense. Her quickness, defensive instincts, and ability to pressure opposing guards could take a huge burden off CC defensively throughout the year. And honestly, that may be one of the most underrated storylines surrounding Indiana.

The biggest key now is health. That was something which derailed Indiana’s momentum a year ago. Clark missed most of the season. Sophie Cunningham dealt with injuries. Kelsey Mitchell pushed through physical exhaustion late in the playoffs. Sure, they had talent, but they never really got the opportunity to see their full group together consistently.

However, that does not guarantee a championship. Teams like the Las Vegas Aces, New York Liberty, and Phoenix Mercury are still standing in the way.

But for the first time in a very long time, Indiana is entering a season looking less like an exciting young team and more like a franchise that expects to be part of the WNBA title conversation from Day 1. With their season opener all set to take place on May 9th against the Dallas Wings, make sure to tune in to see what they look like in action.