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CAITLIN CLARK and the Indiana Fever are shaping up to be serious WNBA title contenders next season.
This offseason the front office has made a series of moves that should see them take advantage of Clark’s metoric rise to superstardom.
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Last year, the Fever were the 6th (20-20) in the East but suffered a first round loss to the Connecticut Sun.
But now, thanks to Clark’s star power, they have made several upgrades – including signing the Sun All-Star DeWanna Bonner.
She led Connecticut in points and blocks last season and is a six-time All-Star, with fans now calling the Fever a “superteam”.
The veteran guard, 37, is now one of FOUR All-Stars from last season the Fever will have in a potential starting five.
Alongside Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell also made the All-Star game last season.
Mitchell was re-signed to a $250,000 supermax deal last week.
With Lexie Hull pencilled in as the fifth starter, Bonner is the only member of that unit over the age of 30.
Rookie of the Year Clark was named to the All-NBA First Team after a dominant season in which she led the league in assists, averaged 19.2 points per game and set the rookie record for made threes.
Her star power means that Indiana is now able to compete with much larger markets for free agent signings.
Indiana also has the highest average attendance in the league – at 17,035 last season – double what Connecticut attracted.
The team has also positioned itself to take advantage of next year’s expected free agency free-for-all, when the new $2.2 billion TV rights deal comes into place.
Most of the WNBA’s top players – bar those on rookie deals – will be free agents next summer in anticipation of record breaking salaries being handed out.
As well as Bonner, the likes of Kelsey Plum, Brittney Griner and Jewell Lloyd all signed one-year deals to keep all options open.
Teams have also cleared the decks to ensure they are in position to be in the race for top stars.
The Fever also went huge upheaval on the sidelines during the course of the offseason, including announcing a new $78 million practice facility in downtown Indiana.
Lin Dunn was moved out of the general manager role and made a senior adviros for the team, with Amber Cox coming in as the new COO and GM.
All-WNBA first and second team
THE 10 best players in the WNBA have been selected and named to the All-WNBA first and second team.
First team:
Caitlin Clark – Indiana FeverNapheesa Collier – Minnesota LynxBreanna Stewart – New York LibertyAlyssa Thomas – Connecticut SunA’ja Wilson – Las Vegas Aces
Second team:
Kahleah Copper – Phoenix MercurySabrina Ionescu – New York LibertyJonquel Jones – New York LibertyArike Ogunbowale – Dallas WingsNneka Ogwumike – Seattle Storm
The Fever also fired former head coach Christie Sides and hired 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year Stephanie White.
She had previously played for the Fever and coached the team in 2015 and 2016, losing in the WNBA finals in her first season in charge.
The former Vanderbilt coach spent the last two seasons with the Conneticut Sun, where she went 55-25 in two seasons – the Sun did lose in the playoff semifinals in both years, however.
Both White and Cox were key recruiters of Bonner having worked with her previously – White with the Sun and Cox who had recruited her to the Phoenix Mercury.
Indiana also made a win-now move at the WNBA draft, trading down from the 8th pick to pick up Sophie Cunningham and Jaelyn Brown.
The Fever now have the 19th, 20th and 33rd picks in the draft, which takes place on April 14.
