Tag: Indiana Fever

Caitlin Clark is reportedly considering a significant offer from Unrivaled to join

Caitlin Clark is reportedly considering a lofty offer from Unrivaled to join the 3-on-3 league.

Unrivaled is pushing hard for Indiana Fever superstar guard Caitlin Clark to join its growing roster of players.

The women’s 3-on-3 basketball league has courted some of the biggest stars in the WNBA, but Clark has yet to commit to one of the league’s roster spots.

That could soon change according to a new report from Sports Business Journal.

SBJ‘s Tom Friend reported on Thursday that Clark and Unrivaled have had discussions on a possible deal with significant upside for the WNBA standout.

“Caitlin Clark and Unrivaled have had ‘high level conversations’ about her joining the emerging 3-on-3 basketball league, sources said today, with the offer believed to include significant equity in the business and a three-month salary of over $1M,” Friend reported.

“On a day that the league expanded its rosters from 30 to 36 players, those sources said Unrivaled has told Clark she can ‘take as long as she wants’ to decide, mindful of the grind Clark has endured over the past year as a collegiate player and rookie in the WNBA. But Unrivaled has also strategically signed two of Clark’s closest friends — Fever teammate Lexie Hull and former Iowa teammate Kate Martin — to recent contracts, and, according to sources, speculation is Clark is leaning ’60/40′ to saying ‘yes.'”

The Unrivaled league also added Clark’s Fever teammate Aliyah Boston on Thursday, which could entice Clark even more to join.

While Friend’s report alludes that nothing is set in stone, it sounds like it’s definitely possible Clark could take Unrivaled up on its offer.

“Comes down to mental health, stress or playing ball – which she loves,” a source told Friend. “She has not decided yet… there will be a spot for her if she wants it, but she will be paid for what she brings to the league, as much as a new league can afford… I think a few weeks we will know.”

Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell also told Sportico’s Eric Jackson this week there will always be a place for Clark in the league if she wants to play. 

“We’re always going to have a roster spot for Caitlin Clark,” Bazzell said, via Sportico. “We’re not applying a full-court press the way people think… She knows that we have a spot for her when she’s ready.” 

While it seemed for a while like Clark joining Unrivaled was a long shot, this gives new hope for the league that it could welcome her into the fold.

Connecticut Sun part with head coach Stephanie White

The Connecticut Sun announced they are parting with head coach Stephanie White, clearing the way for a possible return to the Indiana Fever.

The Connecticut Sun announced on Monday that they have parted with head coach Stephanie White.

“We parted on good terms because some of (White’s) decision-making process was not just about basketball,” Connecticut Sun president Jen Rizzotti told ESPN.

White went 55-25 with Connecticut, steering the Sun to 27-13 and 28-12 regular season marks each of the past two seasons. Connecticut earned the No. 3 seed and advanced to the WNBA Semifinals each of the past two campaigns.

This move by the Sun clears the way for White’s reported return as head coach of the Indiana Fever. After Indiana fired former head coach Christie Sides on Sunday morning, multiple sources indicated to the Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile that White was expected to be the Fever’s next head coach.

White was previously the head coach of the Indiana Fever during the 2015 and 2016 WNBA seasons. In 2015, White led the Fever to the WNBA Finals. In 2016, Indiana advanced back to the WNBA Playoffs.

White compiled 20-14 and 17-17 regular-season records with the Fever during the 2015 and 2016 WNBA seasons. White also played four WNBA seasons with the Fever from 2000-04.

White has close ties to Indiana senior advisor Lin Dunn and new Fever president of basketball and business operations Kelly Krauskopf. After starting her WNBA coaching career as an assistant with the Chicago Sky from 2007-10, White became an assistant coach for Indiana from 2011-14 under Dunn.

Then, Krauskopf, who was the Fever’s president from 2000-18, gave White her first WNBA head coaching gig with the Fever in 2015 after Dunn retired from coaching.

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Multiple sources expect Indiana Fever to hire Stephanie White as next head coach

Per multiple sources, Indiana is expected to lure current Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White away to be the next Fever head coach.

Per Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times, multiple sources expect the Indiana Fever to hire current Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White as the Fever’s next coach.

White has close ties to Indiana senior advisor Lin Dunn and new Fever president of basketball and business operations Kelly Krauskopf. After starting her WNBA coaching career as an assistant with the Chicago Sky from 2007-10, White became an assistant coach for Indiana from 2011-14 under Dunn.

Then, Krauskopf, who was the Fever’s president from 2000-18, gave White her first WNBA head coaching gig with the Fever in 2015 after Dunn retired from coaching. White led Indiana to the WNBA Finals in her first season and to another postseason appearance in 2016.

White left to become Vanderbilt’s head coach ahead of the 2016-17 women’s college basketball season.

White then returned to the WNBA head coaching ranks in the 2023 season with the Connecticut Sun. White steered the Sun to 27-13 and 28-12 regular season marks each of the past two seasons. Connecticut earned the No. 3 seed and advanced to the WNBA Semifinals each of the past two seasons.

With each of the past two WNBA Rookie of the Year honorees on Indiana’s roster in Caitlin Clark and in Aliyah Boston, the opportunity to lead those two and the appeal to return to a place that White is familiar with could be too appealing to pass up.

In addition to her coaching stint with the Fever, White also played four WNBA seasons with the Fever. White’s ties to the state of Indiana run deep.

White is from West Lebanon and was Miss Basketball out of Seeger High School. White was also a star on the Purdue team that won the NCAA championship in 1999, winning Big Ten Player of the Year and the Wade Trophy that season. White has one year left on her current contract with the Connecticut Sun.

Clark finished her rookie WNBA season averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41.7% from the field, 34.4% from 3-point distance and 90.6% from the free throw line.

Re-signing free agent All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell will be the Fever’s largest roster objective this offseason.

The Fever announced the decision on Sunday morning that the franchise was firing fire former head coach Christie Sides after a 33-47 mark over two seasons.

Sides directed Indiana to a 20-20 record, the No. 6 seed and a first-round WNBA playoffs appearance this past season. It was the Fever’s first trip back to the WNBA playoffs since White guided them there in 2016.

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Indiana Fever part ways with head coach Christie Sides

Caitlin Clark will have a new head coach in the 2025 WNBA season.

Following the franchise’s first WNBA playoff appearance since 2016 and a remarkable Rookie of the Year season by Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever announced early Sunday that they have parted ways with former head coach Christie Sides.

Sides, who had been the head coach of the Fever over the past two seasons, finishes with a 33-47 regular-season record, including a 20-20 season in 2024.

While the Fever qualified for the WBNA playoffs for the first time in eight years, they suffered a first-round sweep in two games by the Connecticut Sun.

Fever President of Basketball Operations Kelly Krauskopf announced the move on Sunday.

“We are incredibly thankful to Coach Sides for embracing the challenge of leading us through an integral transition period over the last two seasons, while also positioning us well for future growth.

“While decisions like these are never easy, it is also imperative that we remain bold and assertive in the pursuit of our goals, which includes maximizing our talent and bringing another WNBA championship back to Indiana. Coach Sides was an incredible representative of the Fever and our community, and we wish her nothing but success in the future,” Krauskopf said in a statement.

Sides was hired following the 2022 season to replace Marianne Stanley and her interim successor, Carlos Knox. Sides had two years remaining on her four-year contract as coach.

The news adds to the list of coaches who have not lasted longer than three seasons since Lin Dunn held the position for six seasons from 2008 to 2014.

The latest Fever campaign saw several ups and downs, beginning with a 1-9 record to start the season, but rebounded with an 18-9 stretch between June 1 and Sept. 10.

The Fever, aided by the offensive talent of Caitlin Clark and Co., also held the league’s best offensive rating (109.6 points per 100 possessions) following the Olympic break.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The Fever, aiming to return to the WNBA playoffs in 2025, will return Clark along with 2023 Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston and hope to re-sign All-Star Kelsey Mitchell in free agency.

For Clark, this will be the first time she will endure a coaching change, as she spent her four seasons at Iowa under the tutelage of head coach Lisa Bluder. As Clark enters her sophomore WNBA season, it will be interesting to watch how a new coach will utilize her talents.

Clark finished her rookie season averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 41.7% from the field, 34.4% from 3-point distance and 90.6% from the free throw line.

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The Fever firing head coach Christie Sides fuels Stephanie White reunion speculation

The Fever are seeking a new coach after their first playoff berth since 2016.

It was weird to hear reports last week that the Indiana Fever were interviewing Stephanie White for head coach considering the incumbent coach, Christie Sides, was still technically on the team.

Don’t get me wrong, White is a great coach and any team would be lucky to have her. She was, after all, the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year, and she led the Connecticut Sun to a combined 55-25 record the last two years. But the Fever already had a coach. And Sides led them to the playoffs this year for the first time since 2016.

Well, that’s no longer the case. Indiana has parted ways with Sides, the team announced Sunday, clearing the way for a potential reunion with White, whose first head coaching job was with the Fever in 2015 and 2016.

White also played the majority of her career with the Fever, from the team’s inaugural year in 2000 to 2004. And she was an assistant with the Fever from 2011-2014, which includes the team’s only championship in 2012.

Of course, the ball is in White’s corner to make a decision. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile reported Wednesday the Fever were one of three teams vying for White’s services, along with the Sun and Chicago Sky.

However, considering her history with the team, and the Fever having the brightest young star in the WBNA, Caitlin Clark, the opportunity in Indiana may be too good to pass up.

Is Caitlin Clark playing in the 2024 WNBA Finals?

Will we be seeing Caitlin Clark in the 2024 WNBA Finals?

The 2024 WNBA Finals will kick off on Thursday night in New York, but one of the game’s biggest stars won’t be competing for a title this year.

Despite her breakout rookie season, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark will not be playing in the 2024 WNBA Finals since her team did not advance past the first round of the playoffs.

The Fever were eliminated by the Connecticut Sun last month, which means Clark’s season is over and her won’t play again until the 2025 preseason next spring.

While we should be in for an excellent 2024 WNBA Finals between two of the league’s best teams, fans will have to wait to see Clark play in the WNBA until next season.

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Angel Reese getting a vote over Caitlin Clark for Rookie of the Year isn’t that outlandish

Angel Reese was better this season than you think.

This whole narrative of Angel Reese vs. Caitlin Clark is so over, but of course it pops up when the Indiana Fever guard was one vote away from a unanimous WNBA Rookie of the Year award.

And it’s silly. Because Reese had an unbelievable rookie year and deserves some flowers. This is a player who exploded on a worse Chicago Sky team and broke the WNBA single-season rebounding record and didn’t even finish out the season. She broke the rookie record for double-doubles.

There are a lot of questions flying around about who among WNBA reporters voted for Reese. That is moot (and also, if you’re hunting around for the reporter who did it to shame them, that’s horrible and you should stop it immediately).

It’s not that hot of a take. Does Clark deserve the award? Without a doubt! Maybe it’s more surprising that there weren’t a few more votes for Reese.

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Caitlin Clark finding out about her Rookie of the Year win with her Fever teammates is so wholesome

This is wonderful!

Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark winning the league’s 2024 Rookie of the Year didn’t come as a huge surprise.

However, the moment she found out about the award with her Fever teammates is absolutely delightful to watch.

The team shared the moment that happened in a recent Indiana practice, as league commissioner Cathy Engelbert called in to share the news.

Clark indeed found out in the moment about the honor with all of her Fever teammates surrounding her, which led to a celebration on the court over the rookie’s awesome achievement.

After such a historic rookie campaign, Clark getting to learn about her big career news with all of her Fever teammates by her side is really cool to see.

To make it all even more endearing, her teammates all chimed in with additional congratulations with this team-produced video on Thursday.

 

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Caitlin Clark was just one vote away from being the unanimous Rookie of the Year

Clark was just one vote away. Wow.

It’s been a foregone conclusion that Caitlin Clark would be the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year this season.

The race was tight for the first few months of the year, with Angel Reese breaking rebounding records left and right and creating double-double streaks that seemed endless. But by the end of the year, it’d become clear that Clark was not only the best rookie of the year but also one of the best players in the WNBA.

So, with that said, it wasn’t shocking at all when Clark officially won the award. The league announced it on Wednesday afternoon.

However, the final tally of the vote was a bit startling.

Clark was just a single vote away from being named the unanimous ROY. Just one vote, folks. She received 66 of the 67 available votes. Angel Reese got the other single vote. No one else got any.

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter. Whether it’s unanimous or not, Clark is still the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. The WNBA got it right. That’s what matters in the end.

But this will probably be bulletin board material for Clark’s career moving forward.

That should be fun!

Caitlin Clark delivered a classy message to her supporters after her first WNBA season

What a classy move from Caitlin Clark.

As hard as it is to believe, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark’s rookie season has already come to a close.

The Fever lost to the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs last week, which concluded Clark’s first year in the league.

Reflecting on the season that was, Clark took to Twitter (X) on Wednesday night and delivered a classy message to her supporters.

“Thank you to the many people who have supported me as I’ve been able to live my childhood dream,” Clark wrote. “I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on this past year of my life. See you all in year two.”

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