Caitlin Clark Reveals Reunion Vision With Ex-Teammate As Indiana Remains Static in Free Agency

Back in May, last year, Caitlin Clark once again shared the court with this Iowa teammate whom she calls her ‘best friend’. The only point is, on that occasion, they played as rivals- Clark in the Fever’s gear, while her friend in the Aces gear- for the first time in the WNBA. What made the occasion even more special was, the pair’s former coaches Lisa Bluder, Jan Jensen, Jenni Fitzgerald, and Raina Harmon were all in attendance to watch their Hawkeyes. Interestingly, while the Aces defeated the Fever 99-80, Clark’s former team also surpassed her as she scored 12 points against Clark’s 8. Understandably, Clark only had good things about her.

“I’m just really happy for her and everything Coach [Becky] Hammon says about her is so true,” Clark had said. “Every person that played at Iowa and was around her knows that to be true. She’s the ultimate teammate, ultimate person, ultimate leader.” On the other hand, this ex-teammate seemed to be still getting over the fact that they had become rivals.

“It was weird. I’m not going to lie — just looking out on the court and seeing her in a different jersey than me, it was obviously different. But it’s really fun. We’re both living out our dreams right now,” she had said after the game. But don’t even think for once that such a friendship takes away the competitiveness from Clark and her bestie Kate Martin. Later, Martin had recalled, how Caitlin literally tried to’ruin’ her game.

Describing their sporty encounter, she said, “She kept trying to talk to me and smile at me and I was like, ‘Hey like I need to focus on this play.’ I was trying so hard not to mess up the play!” But, if they are on the same team again. it will not leave them to face such ‘difficult’ situations, won’t it? Well, if you are thinking that, then you have Clark herself with you in that!

Caitlin Clark joined Swarmcast host David Eickholt for an exclusive one-on-one chat. During the podcast, Clark dropped a juicy tidbit that’s bound to leave Indiana fans buzzing with excitement. Caitlin discussed her ex- teammate Kate Martin’s success at Unrivaled and dropped a bomb that has created all sorts of buzz in the basketball community. She said, “I think people are just seeing her confidence grow and grow, I am really happy for her and you know hopefully I can recruit her at Fever somehow some way, one day, who knows? I am gonna try to figure that out, it’s my goal at some point in my career to team up with Kate, we will see if that happens, don’t get too excited.” 

Caitlin Clark didn’t stop there. Her podcast appearance was packed with some very interesting insights that are worth diving into. Kate is enjoying considerable success for the Laces Basketball Club in the newly formed basketball league Unrivaled. The Laces are 3-0 in the league phase after having just beat the Vinyl BC 83-79. In her debut against the Phantom BC, Kate was instrumental in the win by scoring a double-double along with the match-winner.

When Eickholt asked Caitlin about the possibility that they might shine even brighter as opponents than they ever could as teammates, her response was pure gold. “That’s true,” Caitlin said with a grin. “We need to have our little beef and our little battle, so we might actually keep her away from us, just so we can keep going at it.” Talk about adding fuel to a rivalry! But it seems that the sentiment of playing together is too strong for Clark. Back in June last year, she had once again expressed the same.

“What everybody else sees in her, that’s what I’ve seen in her for a really long time. And I’m just really happy for her. And obviously I wish she was still my teammate,” Clark had said on that occasion. Everybody remembers the Iowa team that went to two consecutive NCAA finals, Kate was a vital part of that Hawkeyes team averaging 13 points and 6.8 rebounds in her last season complementing the phenomenal Caitlin Clark very well. But the bond gets stronger from their off-court chemistry.

Clark had revealed that even after being drafted to two different teams, she still texts Martin “every single day”. As she put it, “I think just being there for one another and just be a listening ear. It’s not like we’re coaching one another. It’s just more like, obviously she’s one of my best friends and like she said, there’s not a lot of people that really get it that we are friends with.” Martin echoes the same.

“I’ve had my down moments and she’s hyped me up, just like she did at Iowa,” Martin had told USA TODAY’s Lindsay Schnell. “I’ve never been in Caitlin’s shoes and I never will be, she’s on a completely different stage than me, but as much as I can be a listening ear and encourage her back, I try to do that.” While Clark is hopeful about Martin’s transfer to Indiana at some point, her Indiana Fever is completely cold in free agency lately.

Indiana in tough spot in free agency?

The WNBA recently announced that teams are now officially allowed to negotiate with players ahead of the opening of the free agency window on February 1. This only means that the Fever can start making moves as they look to improve their roster around Caitlin Clark ahead of the 2025 season. But according to WNBA reporter Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic, things are not looking very optimistic for the Fever in terms of their free agency projection.

In fact, Merchant believes that the Fever will “strike out in free agency.” Indiana has indeed become one of, if not the most attractive destination for free agents because of Clark’s popularity. Merchant points out that whoever ends up signing with the Fever will likely command a limited role alongside Clark and fellow All-Stars Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell (if she returns in free agency).

Dallas Wings star Satou Sabally has been identified as a potential free agent target for Indiana, but Merchant isn’t convinced that the Fever can land the highly sought-after forward. The reporter argues that a trade would be the best path for Indiana. “It’s risky to trade for Sabally for one season, and talk around the league is that Indiana is not one of Sabally’s preferred markets,” Merchant wrote. “If I were in the Fever front office, I would still offer Lexie Hull, NaLyssa Smith and a pick for Sabally, but I would understand the reticence.”

Players such as Nneka Ogwumike, Brionna Jones and Natasha Howard were named as potential Plan B options if the Sabally chase falls through. However, Merchant also noted that all three are “less-than-ideal fits.” “The Fever have enough money to give out a one-year maximum contract, but the bet is that their targets will go elsewhere,” Merchant concluded.