Caitlin Clark is set to challenge Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty for the WNBA title this season, with a showdown between the two teams scheduled for Saturday. Despite a narrow loss to the Atlanta Dream in their second game, the Indiana Fever made a strong statement in their season opener by dominating Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.
The Fever has significantly bolstered its squad this year, acquiring Sophie Cunningham and Jaelyn Brown through trades, and adding Natasha Howard, DeWanna Bonner, Sydney Colson, and Brianna Turner in free agency. They've also appointed Stephanie White as head coach.
This has positioned them as one of the favourites to clinch the title, alongside the New York Liberty, despite the Fever having the worst record in the league for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023.
The Fever clearly recognises the need to build around Clark and provide her with the best possible opportunity to compete at her current level. She dropped a triple-double in the season-opener, scoring 20 points while registering 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
Their upcoming match against the Liberty will serve as a true litmus test of whether the Fever will be contenders this year, as they face off against the league's top team.
After securing the championship last year, Stewart vowed that the Liberty would return to dominate once again.
During their championship victory parade, she exclaimed: "We're not done yet but we're gonna appreciate the s--- out of this."
The Liberty kicked off with a resounding win over the Las Vegas Aces, while the Fever are up next, presenting a tougher test as Clark eyes the MVP trophy.
Clark's showdown with arch-nemesis Angel Reese became ESPN/ABC's most-viewed WNBA game ever, drawing a staggering 2.7 million viewers to the screen.
In their encounter, the Fever trounced the Sky 93-58, with tensions flaring between Clarke and Reese after a rough foul in the third quarter.
Since their debut last season, Clark and Reese have significantly raised the WNBA's profile, with 2024 marking the league's highest regular-season viewership in two decades.
