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Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has not had the second WNBA season that she or anybody else was hoping for.
One aspect of this is that Clark has not replicated the 2024 rookie season production that earned her a top-five finish in WNBA MVP voting, at least in terms of her offensive performance. She’s currently averaging 16.5 points per game (it was 19.2 last season), her field goal percentage has dropped five points (41.7% to 36.7%), and she has shot a mediocre 27.9% from three-point range in her sophomore 2025 campaign.
But regardless of whether Clark is struggling to score, fans simply want to see her compete. And her having missed 20 games this season (19 Fever contests plus the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game) thus far due to injury has been the most frustrating part of Clark’s 2025 story.
Stephen A. Smith Speaks on Caitlin Clark’s 2025 WNBA Season Struggles
Sports media icon Stephen A. Smith was a guest on an August 8 episode of Real Time with Bill Maher. And Smith didn’t mince words when the topic of Clark came up.
“Caitlin Clark is the cash cow. She is box office. When she plays, the ratings go up, revenue goes up, interest goes up. When she doesn’t play, it plummets,” Smith said, per an X post from @VigilantFox. “36% drop in ratings for All-Star Weekend for the WNBA a few weeks ago. Last year, she didn’t miss a game. This year, she missed 17 games. This is a woman that, everything she touches with women’s basketball, turns to gold… She is very good.”
When Bill Maher asked whether she’s the best player in the league, Smith said, “No, she’s not the best player in the league. But she’s good, she’s damn good. She was fourth in league MVP voting last year.
“She had an opportunity to be that this year, but those 17 games that she’s missed, dipped in shooting percentage, three-point shooting percentage, assists, everything has gone down a little bit. Primarily due to injuries. But trust me, she is the future of the WNBA. She’s legit.
NEW: Stephen A. Smith says exactly what WNBA players needed to hear about Caitlin Clark.
“They didn’t have chartered jets until she arrived. She arrived, they had chartered jets two weeks later, literally.”
“This is a person that everything she touches with women’s basketball… pic.twitter.com/IepZhpi8VB
— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) August 9, 2025
Smith has always been an outspoken advocate for Clark, especially when she’s playing at her peak. But the bottom line is that he, like every other person who watches, follows, and covers women’s basketball, is eagerly awaiting the moment when Clark is injury-free and can return to the Indiana Fever’s court for their run to the WNBA postseason.
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