The WNBA is back from its Olympic-induced hibernation, and Caitlin Clark is ready to pull off her best Houdini act yet—dragging the Indiana Fever into the playoffs for the first time since the dinosaurs roamed the earth…or 2016. After a month of rest, where we assume Clark spent her days napping and perfecting her trick shots from the couch, she’s ready to remind everyone why the WNBA has turned into appointment television this season.
The Fever (11-15) are clinging to their playoff hopes like a toddler with a candy bar, but they might have a shot if they make a bold trade before the August 20 deadline. With Indiana’s most promising duo of Clark and Aliyah Boston, the pressure is on for the Fever to cash in on this golden opportunity. Or, at the very least, not turn it into a dumpster fire.
The Trade That Could Send Indiana Fever Fans to Therapy (In a Good Way!)
Rumors swirling around the WNBA trade rumor mill (because even women’s basketball needs its dose of drama) have ESPN’s Kevin Pelton suggesting a Fever move that could make waves. It involves sending NaLyssa Smith, Katie Lou Samuelson, and a 2026 first-round pick (yes, they’re already gambling with picks two years down the road!) to the Washington Mystics. In return? The Fever could snag defensive wiz Brittney Sykes and the versatile Myisha Hines-Allen. Sounds reasonable, right?
While Smith has been putting up respectable numbers (11.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game), she’s been feeling a bit like a square peg in a round hole with Clark and Boston commanding the spotlight. Samuelson, meanwhile, has been keeping the seat warm on the three-point line, but let’s be real—Indiana needs more than someone who occasionally splashes a trey to get them past the first round.
Enter Sykes, whose lockdown defense could give Clark some breathing room on the court—because, you know, the whole carrying-the-team-on-your-back thing is exhausting. Hines-Allen, meanwhile, would add a bit of muscle to Indiana’s frontcourt, possibly turning them into something more formidable than just Clark-and-friends.
The Future: Fever Fans, Don’t Start Buying Championship Gear Just Yet
Even if this trade goes down, the Fever still have work to do, but hey, there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe not a blinding spotlight, but definitely more than the flickering candle they’ve been surviving on.
Clark, in her 26-game stint, is already pulling numbers that make seasoned veterans blush. The rookie’s stat sheet looks like it was copy-pasted from a video game: third in minutes played (35.2), 17.1 points per game, leading the league in assists (8.2), and threatening to break every WNBA record that isn’t nailed down. She’s even knocked out a few firsts, like being the only rookie to hit a triple-double and breaking the Fever’s assist record (19 in one game—yeah, that’s not a typo).
With Sykes locking down the perimeter and Clark figuring out how to one-up herself on the court, Indiana Fever might just have a shot at making some playoff noise. Or, at the very least, making sure their fans won’t have to rely solely on wine and sarcasm to get through the rest of the season.
But hey, no pressure, right?
