Indiana Fever’s first season with Caitlin Clark was full of ups and downs. The team fought back from losing eight of their opening nine games to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016, only to get brushed aside by the Connecticut Sun in the first round. Still, the season where Clark and Fever broke numerous records, will be seen as progress and a “taste of where we want to be,” according to the rookie.

Despite being swept 2-0 in the postseason, Fever fans and players have reason to be optimistic. They went from 1-8 to 20-20 at the end of the season and finished sixth. Two years ago, the franchise mustered a paltry five wins in 36 games. But over the last two years, they have gradually improved. Though the additions of two No. 1 draft picks, Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark, in subsequent years have been a big reason behind their improvement, Olympian Kristy Wallace believes the change is not down to one particular moment.

Speaking to the media on September 27, after Fever’s exit from playoffs, the Australian mentioned how the team overcame “adversity” early in the season to finish strong. She then talked about her role change in Christie Sides’s setup before she pressed to highlight key moments, particularly involving Boston and Clark or her with any other player that helped the Fever find their stride and secure a playoff spot.

The bronze medalist, fresh from her Olympic debut for Australia answered, “I think we always had the talent. It’s easy to say or think there was a click or something happened, but I don’t know. Like, I think over the season, I think we always had it, we always had the talent. I think it was just a matter of… yeah, I don’t know what it was. I don’t think I have an answer for it.”

Fever’s turnaround to achieve a playoff berth may appear miraculous, but to Wallace, it was more of a testament to the team’s growth. After losing the first playoff game 93-69, they came out fighting in the second game. They were even ahead at one point early in the fourth quarter but eventually went down 87-81. Up against a vastly experienced playoff side, Fever did manage to come out of the contest with their reputations enhanced. 

The next question to Wallace again put the spotlight on WNBA’s Rookie of the Year, Caitlin Clark. “What you’ve learned about Caitlin off the floor this year and the way she’s handled uh the madness that surrounds her all the time?” she was asked.

She replied, “Yeah it must be tough. I’ve never seen anything like it and she’s got a lot on her plate in terms of the madness. So I think, yeah, she’s—I think we all forget that she’s still so young. Um, yeah, and so I think she’s handling it very well. I think, um, yeah, as she grows and also matures as a human, I think she’ll only get better with handling all this stuff.” 

Indeed, the pressure on Caitlin was undeniable, whether it was the expectation that comes with being the first overall pick, helping her side improve, or elevating the WNBA’s profile. For Clark’s part, she was able to handle these expectations well, but she wants to go further and realizes there is scope for improvement.

During the exit interview, Clark mentioned, “I think there are so many ways that I can continue to get better. That’s what gets you going and gets you fired up. I feel like (at the end) we were really starting to find our groove.”

Clark set a historic record of 769 points in her rookie season and has redefined what it means to be a rookie in the WNBA. She also set a single-season assists record of 337 assists, which no doubt played a crucial role in propelling the Indiana Fever to their first playoffs in eight years.

The rookie further added, “It’s a good little taste of what’s possible for this organization and for this franchise. And there’s a lot for us to hold our heads high about. This team won five games two years ago. So we’re a young group, a pretty inexperienced group, but we came together and had a lot of fun playing with one another.”

Apart from excelling on the court, Clark’s impact and “madness” were visible in the growing WNBA attendances and viewership in the games involving her.

Is Caitlin Clark a game-changer in WNBA?

Clark’s presence saw unprecedented numbers for the WNBA and Indiana Fever. 23 games crossed the 1 million viewership figure, with Clark featuring in 20 of them. Even when the WNBA went up against NFL Sunday, the Fever vs Sun game pulled in an impressive 1.8 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA playoff game since 2000.

In terms of live attendance, Fever saw their ticket sales quadrupled, going from an average attendance of 4,067 last season to around 17,035 this term. They even out-sold NBA franchise Indiana Pacers, who had an average attendance of 16,528. So, there is little doubt about the popularity and attention Clark has brought to the league this season.

Despite Clark’s focus on areas for improvement following the Fever’s unsuccessful championship run, her legacy as one of the WNBA’s most influential players is already getting established. If Fever can continue on the upward curve next season, we might see even more such records been broken by Clark.