In a hilarious twist to their Olympic hiatus, the Indiana Fever decided to ditch the basketballs and break out the tissues. The Fever, who played their last game on July 17 against the Dallas Wings (losing 101-93), won’t hit the court again until Aug. 16. So, what’s a team to do during a month-long break? Turn their star player into a mummy, of course!
With the WNBA season on pause for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Fever’s social media team delighted fans with a video clip of the team engaging in some off-court antics. The post, made on X (formerly known as Twitter), was captioned:
“Minute to win it. The squad split into teams and competed in four mini challenges at practice.”
The video kicked off with Fever coach Christie Sides announcing a series of challenges that would be played within a minute. The contests included Balloon Juggle, Candy Shuffle, Tissue Pull, and Ping Pong Lift. But the pièce de résistance was the bonus round called the “Tissue Wrap,” where Caitlin Clark, the team’s rookie sensation, was humorously transformed into a mummy.
The camp games were a smashing success, judging by the players’ enthusiasm and laughter throughout the challenges. However, while the Fever aced these fun games, the real challenge awaits them in the second half of the season.
Currently sitting third in the East and seventh overall with an 11-15 record, Indiana is in a prime position to make the playoffs—quite the turnaround from last season’s dismal 13-27 finish. Drafting Caitlin Clark out of Iowa State has been a game-changer. Clark is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 1.5 steals in 26 games. Her 8.2 assists per game lead the WNBA, and she’s been nothing short of spectacular.
Despite her on-court heroics, Clark was a surprising omission from Team USA for the Paris Olympics. South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, a member of the USWNT selection committee, recently expressed some regret over not picking Clark. In a candid moment on NBC’s Olympics coverage, Staley remarked:
“Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA, wasn’t playing bad, but wasn’t playing like she’s playing now. If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people.”
Clark already boasts several WNBA records, including the most assists in a game (19) and the most assists in an All-Star game (10). She’s also the only rookie to notch a triple-double. If she keeps up this record-shattering form, there’s no doubt she’ll be a cornerstone for Team USA in future Olympics.
So, while Clark’s Olympic dreams are on hold, she can take comfort in knowing she’s the most famous mummy in WNBA history—at least until the Fever’s season resumes.