‘It’s easier for Stephanie White without her’: Fever have a Caitlin Clark problem

The Indiana Fever and star point guard Caitlin Clark found themselves at the center of discourse in the WNBA once again over the last two weeks after Clark was involved in back-to-back testy contests with the Phoenix Mercury, the latter of which included a moment where Mercury star Alyssa Thomas struck Clark around the neck area, resultign in a one-game suspension for Thomas.

Clark hasn’t played since that game, as an awkward landing on a three-point attempt resulted in her reaggravating a back injury that she and the Fever have managed throughout the season.

Shockingly, Indiana hasn’t missed a beat in its all-star’s absence. Sunday’s blowout win over the Las Vegas Aces improved Indiana to 3-0 on the season in games where Clark’s back has kept her off the court. In fact, during Sunday’s win, a graphic was posted that showed just how competent Indiana has been without Clark the past two seasons.

this graphic they just showed during the game? 😭 pic.twitter.com/VV4l4DA3Jj

— abby 🫂 (@kookendipity) July 6, 2026

On Monday, WNBA analyst and Fever writer Robin Lundberg addressed the developing situation on his podcast, and even noted that Fever head coach Stephanie White touched on the lack of turnovers, which Clark has struggled with, during the game.

“I think the way that Stephanie White looks at basketball is: she looks at basketball and says, ‘possessions do matter,”‘ Lundberg said.

“She is meticulous,” he added. “That can lead to some of the give and take with Caitlin Clark… So, in some instances I do think that it’s easier for Stephanie White to play her style with Caitlin Clark not there. The way that she, on paper, prefers to play in a vaccum. When you’re micromanaging possession or structure, that can lead to conflict.”

The Fever Are 3-0 Without Caitlin Clark: What Does It Mean? https://t.co/l5DYnzmCgu

— Robin Lundberg (@robinlundberg) July 6, 2026

Lundberg went on to acknowledge that while the ceiling is higher with Clark, White and the Fever have proven that they can be successful without Clark. Last season, the Fever were an overtime period away from making the WNBA Finals without Clark available, so even if Clark does raise Indiana’s ceiling, it’s worth noting that the Fever may already have enough to make a serious title run.

This reality puts Indiana in an extremely tough position. Should it find a coach more suited to bringing out the best in its dynamic superstar, who also happens to be arguably the single biggest economic engine in all of basketball, or should it trade the once-in-a-lifetime talent for a never-before-seen haul and set White up to field a team more suited fr her brand of basketball?

The Fever have a fascinating problem on its hands, and only time will tell how the franchise decides to handle things.