Caitlin Clark Says 'A Championship' Would Mean Fever's 2025 WNBA Season Is Successful

Caitlin Clark isn't shying away from the massive expectations that surround herself and the Indiana Fever heading into the 2025 WNBA season.

The second-year guard told reporters Wednesday she's setting the bar for success at winning a championship:

The Fever went 20-20 and made the playoffs for the first time since 2016 last year. They were particularly good after the monthlong pause for the 2024 Summer Olympics. Indiana was fifth in net rating (plus-3.2), per WNBA.com, after the schedule started back up.

Clark was the single biggest factor in the turnaround. She shook off a sluggish start to average 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists. She was the Rookie of the Year winner and a first-team All-WNBA honoree while finishing fourth in the MVP voting.

A championship run would be a sizable step forward when the Fever got swept by the Connecticut Sun in two games, but the front office's ambition matches that of Clark.

The Fever hired 2023 Coach of the Year Stephanie White and signed six-time All-Star DeWanna Bonner and two-time All-Star Natasha Howard. They also acquired guard Sophie Cunningham in a trade that cost them forward NaLyssa Smith.

Still, Clark lifting a title this early into her career would put her ahead of the curve in terms of when other notable WNBA stars captured their first championship.

Breanna Stewart was in her third year with the Seattle Storm in 2018. A'ja Wilson was in Year 5 with the Las Vegas Aces, having lost once in the Finals to Stewart and the Storm in 2020. Elena Delle Donne was in the W for seven years before getting the Washington Mystics over the top in 2019. Diana Taurasi was with the Phoenix Mercury for four seasons before they even made the playoffs in 2007, when they went all the way.

Neither the reigning champion New York Liberty nor runner-up Minnesota Lynx got any worse in the offseason. The Aces secured Jewell Loyd as their replacement for Kelsey Plum, who bolted for the Los Angeles Sparks.

The Fever have some stiff competition in the 2025 title race. With the progress Clark made as a rookie, they will at least be considered a credible threat to New York.