Caitlin Clark dominated at Iowa, brought about Fever’s resurgence, broke records single-handedly, and yet, many just cannot call the Fever a title team this year. As ESPN’s Michael Voepel wrote, “A championship is an exceedingly high expectation, but sticking around for a while in the playoffs is not“. So, yes, they will contend, but ultimately fail. These opinions come after the team pulled out all the stops in the free agency alone to ensure they were building around their star player, Caitlin Clark.

The reason? Well, there is no simple answer to this complex question. But let us discuss one point that has been making rounds ever since she transitioned from college to pro, gaining a better field to showcase her PG skills. Last season, Caitlin was number one overall in assists and top five in total points, becoming the first player in the league’s history to finish top 10 in scoring while also leading the league in dimes. What this says is simply that Clark didn’t just adjust; she owned the league by mastering her position. And yet, the Fever’s ex-GM, Lin Dunn, never thought the rookie was a true point guard because of her added ability to score. And yes, that was probably the reason she was off the ball at times.

Even when the U.S. Olympic women’s basketball roster for the Paris Games was out, you could see Caitlin was not on it. The narrative then, while shocked, again began discussing her point guard prowess. So, when Lexie Brown sat with the Full Circle Podcast this Friday, she couldn’t help but be reminded of last year, of her not-so-popular opinions that got her “shut up” from every corner. “I always said she could potentially be one of the best point guards to ever play in the WNBA. And everyone was like, ‘shut up Lexie,’ and I was like, ‘alright,‘” she laughed while speaking with Mariah Rose.

The conversation arose because of the entire “Contenders and Pretenders” situation. While Rose loved her money too much to bet on the Fever winning it all, Brown was ready to empty her purse.

All this confidence? Because she saw the playmaking genius in the Iowa native. She further mentioned that her core abilities as a point guard while coming to the WNBA were heavily overlooked, saying, “The plays that she was making were insane , but people were so caught up in the logo threes and the high… 20 three-point attempts per game, which absolutely I understand that; it was so fun to watch.”

Now, one would say that it’s too early to hedge your bets on Clark as one of the greatest point guards ever, considering she has just played one season at the top level. After all, consistency is key. But then again, Clark is a modern basketball player, not a “true” traditional player in any sense. And that is why many call her a combination of Steph Curry, Jason Kidd, and Steve Nash. Her court vision, facilitation, and scoring make her much more than just an average point guard. So, it never sat right with fans to see her stuck in a corner. Shooting in conjunction with facilitating might still be an area she needs to polish, particularly developing her off-the-ball movement — but then again, you can’t fundamentally change a player’s DNA. You can only tweak it, polish the rough edges, and let the magic happen.

That now kinds of explain why Amber Cox is the new GM and why the team made all those high-end offseason moves.

Fever to win their second title in their history?

After that 2024 season, everybody expects the Indiana Fever to just be on the rise from here. They now have a new front office with president Kelly Krauskopf and general manager Amber Cox taking the reins. Stephanie White, who was the Fever’s head coach in 2014-15, returned this offseason to lead Indiana again. The new management has made some smart off-season decisions and has built around the young core of Clark and Boston.

Brown agrees as she sees them making a strong case for the title. She said, “I think they are contenders, as they strategically gave Caitlin Clark a very, very well-balanced team. Where she won’t have to carry as much of the load and she will end up facilitating even more than last year.”

The Fever’s roster isn’t just exciting — it’s balanced. Clark and Mitchell form one of the most dangerous backcourts in the league, both averaged 19.2 points per game for the Fever. They have a seasoned veteran in Natasha Howard, who has won three WNBA championships, coming in to add some experience to this youthful side. The Fever have brought in another experienced player in DeWanna Bonner, who has won the championship twice with the Mercury. Damiris Dantas is now looking fitter than ever and adds more depth. “Spicy Sophie” has been brought in from Phoenix, who will have a large role in the rotation, backing up the 2 and the 3. They have a well-balanced side with enough flair and experience to go right to the top.

Of course, chemistry doesn’t build itself. It’s going to take some time to mold all these puzzle pieces together into a coherent masterpiece. New players, new roles, new expectations — it’s a lot to juggle. But this is where White’s true leadership skills come into play. And things will be clearer once the training camp pans out.