Clark puts Fever teammates on notice about 'exhausting' role

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Michelle Pemberton/IndyStar/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Caitlin Clark puts Fever teammates on notice about 'exhausting' role

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Apr 22, 2026 1:16 PM ET

Caitlin Clark entered last WNBA season as the leading MVP candidate. Instead, she only played 13 games and struggled with poor shooting and injuries.

Now that she's back to full strength and shook off the rust in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers — where she earned MVP honors — she wants to put the basketball world on notice again.

Speaking at the Indiana Fever's media day on Wednesday, the Iowa legend admitted that she might need to defer to some of her teammates during stretches. She knows she can't do it all if she wants to stay healthy, so someone else will also have to step up.

Caitlin Clark isn't sharing point guard duties

"I think mostly on dead balls, I think I’m the best transition player in the league. That’s where I thrive, everybody knows that’s my game," Clark said, per Chloe Peterson of IndyStar. "So getting the ball off a rebound or in transition, that’s probably why I’m going to be the primary ball handler more than anything. Then getting off the ball a little bit and catching your breath — it is exhausting bringing the ball up 94 feet against pressure. So we definitely need to find somebody that can handle the ball a little bit."

Caitlin Clark on playing off the ball:

“It is exhausting bringing the ball up the floor 94 feet versus pressure every single time, so we certainly need to find someone who can handle the ball … I think Raven and Ty, even other people through camp, have done a great job.” pic.twitter.com/9NCRxZepEW
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) April 22, 2026

The Fever don't have the deepest roster, but they do have a myriad of veterans and players who can take plenty of weight off Clark's shoulders.

"I think Raven (Johnson) and Ty (Tyasha Harris), and even other people through camp — (Shatori Walker-Kimbrough) Tori has done a great job, [Kelsey] does it a little bit, and I think our fours and fives can do that," Clark added. "You saw AB (Aliyah Boston) do that a lot last year when we were in trouble injury-wise."

When healthy, Clark can make a case for being the best player in the league, or at least in the top five. That said, after a disappointing and injury-riddled campaign, the Fever must make sure to manage her workloads and keep her fresh for when it matters the most. Everybody will have to step up.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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