Being Caitlin Clark means there’s nowhere to hide. Since entering the WNBA, the Fever star has lived under a constant spotlight, with every performance becoming a talking point. So when Indiana fell by 16 points to the Portland Fire, and Clark finished with just six points and six assists while struggling defensively, the criticism was never going to be far behind.

But Clark has built her career on responding to adversity. Just days later, she bounced back with 17 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds in a statement win over Eastern Conference leaders Atlanta before telling fans and the media that “the sky is not falling.” It’s the exact mentality UCLA head coach Cori Close remembers from coaching her. 

“She’s got an unbelievable superpower. I coached Caitlin Clark for two summers in USA Basketball. Her confidence is incredible, and her ability to take something on her back and seize a moment is unlike many things we’ve ever seen,” Close said on the ‘Women’s Sports Now’ podcast. But she’s just starting, and I think with maturity we’ll see that as more of a strength. Right now, when you use a strength too much, it becomes a weakness.”

There is a thin line between confidence and overconfidence, and athletes like Clark often cross it without even realizing it. But that’s the same thing that has brought Clark where she is today. The unwavering self-belief. Her fearlessness causes her, at times, to make plays only she can.

Some of her passes are just too difficult and unexpected for her teammates to catch. And that’s why she averages a league-leading 4.4 turnovers per game. At times, Clark might go for a low-percentage logo three when an open teammate is available in the paint or on the perimeter. 

That decision-making arc for Clark is what Cori Close is trying to explain. With experience, Clark will learn the dynamics of the league even better. Clark is already showing signs of that growth in her third season. She has moved more off the ball after Stephanie White decided to go with a guard-heavy roster. 

She is no longer the primary ball handler on every possession, sharing those responsibilities with fellow point guard Raven Johnson. It’s a role Clark never really had to embrace at Iowa, even in short stretches. Yet she has been willing to adapt, buying into her coach’s vision and doing whatever the team needs from her.

Perhaps maturity is something Clark is still developing, but her superpower was on full display against the Atlanta Dream. The Fever star looked particularly fatigued during certain stretches of the game and even threw up at halftime. 

“I tried to eat some apple sauce, and it just came up, and then everything else in my stomach also came up,” Clark said as per The Athletic. “I thought it was gonna stay down, and then I found a trash can, thank God. I haven’t puked that much in a really long time, but then I felt fine. I felt light, so I was running around, feeling good in the second half.” And once the third quarter began, Clark looked nothing like a player who had thrown up at halftime.

It was Clark’s step-back three-pointer over Allisha Gray that helped the Fever retake the lead at 44-43. A few possessions later, she followed it up with a pinpoint pass to Kelsey Mitchell for a layup, stretching Indiana’s advantage to six points and forcing Atlanta to call a timeout. 

By the end of the night, Clark had tied her own record as the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 150+ points and 50+ assists in a season. 

She was so fired up by the performance that she and head coach Stephanie White even shared a chest bump on the sidelines. Clark later joked about the moment, saying, “I could’ve hurt her (with our chest bump), honestly.” So much for all the drama and speculation surrounding their supposed rift over the past week. 

While Close’s words came from her experience of watching Clark grow up close, some around the league believe that relationship could take on a completely different meaning in the future.

Caitlin Clark Trade Rumours Heat Up With Cori Close As Her Next Coach

Caitlin Clark added fuel to an emerging Indiana Fever side. After struggling to break free in the lower half of the table for much of the last 10 years, they went to the playoffs for the first time with Clark leading them. She has brought them immense commercial success, making them the third most valuable franchise with one of the highest attendances in the league. But according to some rumors, they are getting ready to trade Clark ahead of her EPIC extension. 

“I’m hearing from a reliable source the Fever dont want Caitlin no more…SPARKS…Go get her…NOW!!!” Mychal Thompson, the father of Klay Thompson, wrote. It came before the Atlanta game when the tensions were still high. But, even after the win and the change in mood, it refused to go away. 

“The Indiana Fever are planning to ship Caitlin Clark to the Los Angeles Sparks. I expect UCLA coach Cori Close to be the head coach of the Sparks.” Jason Whitlock wrote. The post quickly drew backlash online, with many fans criticizing Whitlock’s claim. However, he later doubled down on his stance.

“The NHL moved Wayne Gretzky out of Canada to Los Angeles because it made $ense for the entire league,” Whitlock further wrote. “If you think the WNBA won’t move Caitlin Clark to LA, you’re not paying attention. Lin Dunn, Stephanie White, etc are following instructions. Caitlin is, too.”

The argument is that Clark would be much more valuable if she moved to a bigger market like LA than to the Fever. And the league would facilitate this trade. But Clark succeeded on a college team like Iowa and earned her fame by taking them to two championship games. She has earned the love of fans in Indiana. 

In addition, GM Amber Cox has maintained that she wants Boston and Clark for the “duration of their careers.” There are no corresponding reports that align with Whitlock’s prediction. So, it remains unlikely that Clark moves bases, at least for the time being.