Caitlin Clark enters the new WNBA season carrying far more than excitement. After spending most of last year recovering from injuries and watching the postseason from the sidelines, the Indiana Fever guard finally gets her regular-season return Saturday against the Dallas Wings. The matchup already feels bigger than a normal opener, with two recent No. 1 picks, Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers, preparing to face the league’s brightest star in front of what is expected to be a packed Indiana crowd.Clark looked sharp during preseason action and Team USA appearances over the past few months, easing concerns about the injury that cut short her 2025 campaign. She scored 13 points in Indiana’s final preseason game against Nigeria and recently returned to full practice. Even the leg sleeve that sparked questions this week turned out to be nothing serious. Clark brushed it off with a smile, explaining it was simply “compression on the leg.“
Caitlin Clark addresses the upcoming season opener against the Wings
Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers. Image via: Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The anticipation surrounding Saturday’s game goes beyond star power. It also reflects how quickly the WNBA is changing. Between Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Azzi Fudd, the league suddenly has another generation of young faces carrying enormous expectations into nationally televised games.Indiana already saw Dallas during preseason play, although Clark exited early after a brief injury scare in a 15-point loss. She expects a different atmosphere this time with the regular season beginning at home and both teams bringing healthy rosters into the spotlight matchup.“It’s crazy. Actually, in that game, the last four No. 1 picks will be playing. So I don’t know how many times that’s ever happened,” Clark told Athlon Sports, addressing the highly anticipated preseason opener.“Obviously, with me and my teammate (Aliyah Boston), and then Azzi and Paige, so pretty cool dynamic, and I think it just speaks to the excitement of the players in our league. Obviously, the talent level that has been coming in, and I think it should be a really great game,” she added.
Caitlin Clark on how injuries changed her perspective on the WNBA games
Clark’s role inside Indiana’s offense may also look different this season. Coach Stephanie White wants to reduce some of the physical pressure opponents constantly place on the Fever star by using her more off the ball.Last season forced her to experience the game from a different angle while recovering, and she believes it changed how she leads teammates and understands the floor.“I think just like more than anything, leadership and experience,” Clark said.“Like this is my third year and even though I wasn’t out on the court last year a lot, you still learn on the sidelines. So I think that being somebody my teammates can rely on being a great communicator. Steph’s (Stephanie White) always coaching me on that area. I want to be able to communicate with my team, on the court, exactly what she (Coach White) wants and what I think is best for the team.”That adjustment comes after Clark carried one of the highest usage rates in the league during her rookie year while battling multiple lower-body injuries. Indiana believes balancing the offense more effectively could help preserve her health over a longer season.Clark also admitted she wants to impact games in smaller ways that often go unnoticed.“I try to be a great defensive rebounder. I need to improve. That’s something I didn’t do too much in the preseason games. But like I wan’t to get it…But you know, dead balls and things like that, it’s difficult to bring the ball 94 feet. But if my teammate is standing there not being guarded, why wouldn’t I just pass them the ball? That’s just unselfish play to make.”Clark is healthy again, and Indiana suddenly looks ready to push itself back into that conversation.
