Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever couldn’t catch a break from injury bucket last season. And a WNBA analyst thinks the Fever would've finished the season differently had Clark not been sidelined.

While Clark is undoubtedly the Fever’s face, the injury setbacks ruined the team’s momentum in the 2025 season. But WNBA analyst Rachel DeMita recently opined what the Fever No. 22 could’ve done on the hardwood if she played the majority of the season.

During her appearance on a recent episode of the Fan vs. Hater podcast, DeMita said, “If Caitlin Clark did not get hurt, the Indiana Fever would have won a championship last season. I hate the argument when they say, 'Oh, this Indiana Fever team is better without Caitlin.'”

Per the opposing debater, Clark’s defense was a “liability” for the team that played significantly better without her. But DeMita knew that “saying that the team was better constructed after she got injured is a wild take because they were literally a hospital team.”

In the 2025 season, the Fever had 5 players suffer season-ending injuries, including CC. The “defense” they played without CC was a desperate attempt by Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell to push the team further.

And that’s exactly why things would’ve been different if CC were playing. Clark’s injury robbed her of the title, and there’s further argument for those who downplay her.

Sandy Brondello on Caitlin Clark's Impact

While Clark’s defense is an evolving aspect of her game, it is not a parameter for judging her overall impact. Though DeMita was clear on this already, the former New York Liberty head coach, Sandy Brondello, said it earlier.

“I think Caitlin Clark is really hard to guard when she’s healthy, just her ability,” Brondello said in 2025. “She gave us a lot of handfuls this year. She can shoot it from way out; she can pass it. I think she’s been a tough one.”

Clark’s blend of deep-range gravity and instant-push tempo has dismantled many defenses, and Brondello took the heat firsthand. Even when Clark’s analytics didn’t look good, “sometimes you got to see how the game’s going,” added the Liberty coach.

Moving forward, it’ll be interesting to see how much DeMita and Brondello’s remarks were on point about Clark.

So if Clark plays most of the matches in the 2026 season, do you think the Fever will be able to lift the title? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy

Edited by

Souvik Roy