Jul 8, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon argues with an official in the third quarter against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Becky Hammon Gives Honest Fever Assessment Without Caitlin Clark to 'Kill You'

Originally posted on Women's Fastbreak on SI
By Grant Young | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 7:28 PM ET

The Las Vegas Aces are looking to improve to 13-12 on the 2025 WNBA regular season when they face the Indiana Fever on July 24. However, they'll be doing so against a handicapped Fever team, as star guard Caitlin Clark is still sidelined because of a groin injury she suffered during a July 15 game against the Connecticut Sun.

The Fever revealed in a press release on Thursday that while there were "no additional injuries or damage were discovered through the evaluations," that Clark has had since that injury, the team also noted that the priority in bringing her back to the court will remain, "on her long-term health and well-being".

In other words, while Clark isn't seriously injured, the Fever are going to play it as safe as can be regarding her returning to the floor.

Becky Hammon Assesses Fever Offense Without Caitlin Clark

Las Vegas Aces head coach Becky Hammon's focus remains on her squad picking up a road win against Indiana on Thursday. And before the game, Hammon was asked about how the Fever's offense changes without Clark on the court.

"Very different," Hammon said of the Fever with and without Clark, per a YouTube video from The Ballers Magazine. "I think the ball movement and the aggression by the other players is substantially more. You know, obviously, [Kelsey] Mitchell, everybody just plays a little bit differently, maybe plays like a more traditional team where they have a point guard... setting everybody up.

"I think Caitlin demands a different kind of attention. So when she's not on the floor, you can shift your attention to other things. But I do think they're still very difficult to guard because of the movement and the ball movement, more than anything," she added.

"Caitlin tends to kill you in the first 8-12 seconds. So you might have to defend a little bit longer," Hammon continued.