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Caitlin Clark Gets Big Reality Check From Indiana Fever Coach

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated May 5, 2025 4:51 PM ET

Around its core of Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, the 2025 version of the Indiana Fever is essentially a brand-new team.

In the offseason, Indiana brought in seven new players from around the WNBA and selected three rookies in the WNBA Draft. Veterans like DeWanna Bonner and Sophie Cunningham have already shown their value in preseason games against the Washington Mystics and the Brazil national team.

The fresh blood in Indianapolis does not stop there. After firing head coach Christie Sides in October 2024, the Fever brought in a revamped coaching staff led by former Connecticut Sun head coach Stephanie White.

As the new staff raises the bar ahead of the 2025 WNBA season, it is expecting a new Caitlin Clark as well.

After the Fever's 108-44 rout of Brazil in Clark's return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena at the University of Iowa, the All-Star guard revealed the reality check she had been given during preseason training camp by new assistant coach Briann January.

"Bri January does a really good job emphasizing defense," Clark said. "It starts on that end of the floor. Even getting on me to pick up full court."

"I’m like, 'Man, I’m not used to this! I don’t do that,'" the former No. 1 overall draft pick admitted. "I’ll get better at it."

Given her offensive responsibilities, it is understandable that playing defense for 94 feet has not often been asked of Clark in the past. In Clark's final year at Iowa, she played 34.8 minutes per game, putting up an average of 22.7 shots en route to 31.6 points and 8.9 assists per contest. Her usage rate was a whopping 40.1 percent.

It’s a competitive group and we have a deep roster…shout out to coach January for emphasizing defense..

Caitlin isn’t used to picking up full court D yet..”I’m like man, I’m not used to this” pic.twitter.com/3Thdr5MxOq
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) May 5, 2025

The trend continued during her 2024 Rookie of the Year campaign, when Clark's league-leading averages of 8.4 assists and 5.6 turnovers led to the ninth-highest usage rate in the league (26.2 percent). She played all 40 games, and her 35.4 minutes per game ranked second in the league.

With more help around Clark in 2025, January made no excuses for the things the offensive supernova used to get away with on the other end of the floor.

The 23-year-old would be wise to listen to her new coach, who was a seven-time WNBA All-Defensive Team honoree. January played nine of her 14 WNBA seasons in Indiana, finishing her career top-three Fever franchise history in games played (250), assists (909) and steals (285).

The Fever have less than two weeks left until their first game of the WNBA regular season on May 17 against Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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