At 22, Caitlin Clark had one of the highest basketball IQs of any player on the court. She was the fastest in any given game for Iowa. But just as Achilles had his heel, the former Hawkeyes star had a considerable weakness on the court—her strength, or rather, the lack of it. “She has this very high skill set in basketball, but her physical development could really be improved,” shared Lindsay Alexander in an interview with Business Insider. By her senior year, she had gained 8 pounds through strength and conditioning. That’s the Clark people have loved– resilient and eyes on growth. And that’s Clark we still get to see.

The Fever wrapped up a perfect 3-0 preseason after an 81-76 win against the Atlanta Dream, with Clark—as usual—under the spotlight. Though she sat out her first game against the Mystics, her 36-foot three-pointer from the very spot where she broke the NCAA scoring record was enough to electrify the sold-out crowd of 14,998.

Notably, the 2024 Rookie of the Year shot 11-for-21 overall, including 7-for-14 from three-point range in her preseason appearances. On top of that, she averaged nearly six rebounds, six assists, and close to three turnovers per game. But even with all that, the Indiana Fever sensation doesn’t feel like she’s 100% there yet.

Before taking on the Chicago Sky in the regular season opener on May 17, she opened up: “I crave wanting to be better…” 

Clark’s résumé from Year 1 is wild. She led the WNBA in assists (8.4 per game), ranked seventh in scoring (19.2), and landed among the top 20 in both rebounds and steals. She finished fourth in MVP voting—unheard of for a rookie—and helped the Fever reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. But she wasn’t exactly topping the scoring chart or making MVP favorites by ESPN. The physicality stared back at her, and so did the turnovers. So she did not wait around, and neither is she ever going to.

“I know I can get a lot better. I don’t think I’ve arrived by any means. I don’t think I’m at the peak of my game yet,” she adds. That’s Clark for you.

She was aware of her flaws, glaringly, strength and conditioning once again. The physicality of the league had gotten to the Fever star so prominently, she’d rather work on that muscle gain than chase a lucrative deal in the off-season. You could see her grinding on her birthday and those long clips Fever share. Amber Cox would also tell you the 23-year-old would be back in the gym at 8 a.m everyday, no matter the event the previous night.

Clark has clocked in hour after hour during the offseason. She admits to having been consistent for 6 whole months in strength training. Well, those biceps didn’t build themselves. And if Stephanie White’s many interviews are any indication, the guard has expanded her game more than she could have thought of last season. Floaters, mid-rangers, off-ball movements, fending physicality, limiting turnovers– the coaching staff prepped a whole plan. Yet, Clark doesn’t want to stop.

“I’ve been in this league for a year now,” Clark said. “I know I belong. I know I can perform, and I know I can make my teammates better every single night.”

It’s a reality check—one that shows her greatness isn’t rooted in numbers alone but in her hunger to grow. And that hunger? It’s only getting louder. Well, she might already be better than she was in her rookie debut, but Year 2 brings with it even bigger expectations. Will she be able to accomplish those goals? Maybe… especially since she’s now supported by a new head coach who’s all in on her evolution.

With a bigger aim, Stephanie White guides Caitlin Clark

When White took over the throne as the Indiana Fever’s head coach, she already knew the game-changer her team had. So, she crafted a multifaceted strategy not just to reach the Championship this season, but to elevate Clark’s performance.

“He [Keith Porter] understands how we wanted to cover Caitlin a year ago, so what are the things that we can challenge her to work on?” White said, speaking about working with Caitlin Clark. The coach has played against her last season, devised specific plans against her. Now, she is bringing the outsider’s perspective to build the 23-year-old’s game.

“So a lot of our game plan was the types of shots we were going to be okay with giving them. So those would be the things that we would work on now, right? If we would have played Caitlin a certain way, why we played her like that,” the coach shares. And about six months into her new role, we bet Clark and Fever have soaked it all up.