Hall of Famer discusses Fever's championship chances with the return of Caitlin Clark

Now that guard Caitlin Clark has returned from a left quad injury, she should catapult the Indiana Fever back into the thick of the championship hunt. 

After missing five games with the injury, Clark helped hand the New York Liberty their first loss of the season on Saturday. In the 102-88 victory over the defending champions, Clark scored 32 points, including 14 in the first quarter.

On a Monday episode of ESPN's "First Take," analyst Rebecca Lobo explained how Indiana may be a legitimate contender with Clark back in the lineup. 

"Could this version [of the Fever] get to the finals? They certainly looked like a team on Saturday that could contend for a WNBA championship," the Hall of Famer said.  

As of Monday, FanDuel Sportsbook gives the Fever +490 odds to win the WNBA championship, the third-best odds behind the Minnesota Lynx (+300) and Liberty (+110). 

The Fever (5-5) upgraded their roster this offseason, signing forwards DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard. Still, they lack the depth the Liberty (9-1) and Lynx (10-1) have, as they're 2-3 without Clark.

The Liberty's roster features forward Breanna Stewart, a two-time MVP, and guard Sabrina Ionescu, a three-time All-Star. The Lynx's roster, meanwhile, boasts a four-time All-Star in guard Kayla McBride and forward Napheesa Collier, who has averaged a league-leading 26.1 points per game through her first 10 games.

While both squads are stacked, neither has a talent like Clark, the only player besides Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese to have a triple-double this season.

"So if every team stays healthy, New York and Minnesota are still the favorites to meet in the finals," Lobo said. "But a Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever could make things interesting along the way." 

As long as Clark stays healthy, the Fever could be one of the bigger threats to the Lynx and Liberty.