The situation has gone from bad to worse for Caitlin Clark and her team. With no signs of return from the star guard, Sophie Cunningham has now joined Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson on the list of players sidelined this season, leaving Indiana even more shorthanded. There are only nine games left for them, and the Fever must win the majority of them to keep their playoff hopes alive. The challenge is even steeper considering that three of those matchups are against the league-leading Minnesota Lynx.

Building a makeshift roster on such short notice and expecting it to compete for a championship is no easy task. Still, the Fever have already started moving pieces. They brought in veteran Odyssey Sims and signed Kyra Lambert to a seven-day contract. Unfortunately, Lambert’s stint lasted just one game. But one analyst suggested this might actually be a blessing in disguise for Indiana.

This observation came from Rachel DeMita in the August 19 episode of her podcast Courtside Club. “They [Fever] released Kyra Lambert and signed Shey Peddy, who is also like a short guard. So, they’re just swapping out point guards at this point. Probably what happened with Kyra Lambert, maybe she just wasn’t ready for the WNBA. She has actually never had a long-term WNBA contract,” she said.

“She has never played (in the WNBA). She played four to five seconds in that last game with the Indiana Fever, and those are her only WNBA minutes. So, I’m sure that is why they cut her,” DeMita added in her podcast about Caitlin Clark’s replacement. Her observation points to the same issue the Fever may have recognized: Lambert’s lack of WNBA experience made her an uncertain fit for the moment.

Kyra Lambert has built her professional career overseas, most recently starring for Olympiacos. She led them to a Greek A1 League title. She averaged 15.4 points and 6.3 assists that season, while knocking down 42.1 percent of her threes. Those numbers earned her EuroCup’s Guard of the Year. Before her breakout in Greece, Lambert logged stints in France, Latvia, New Zealand, Slovakia, and in Turkey. Aside from her collegiate years at Duke and later Texas, however, she has never played on this side of the Pacific.

That lack of WNBA experience makes Lambert a risky fit for Indiana at this stage of the season. The Fever doesn’t need a developmental guard. They need someone who can step in right away and steady the team until Caitlin Clark is back. That’s where Shey Peddy comes in. A six-year veteran, Peddy most recently suited up for the LA Sparks on a hardship deal, averaging 5.0 points and 2.7 assists in six games.

Before that, she spent time with both the Phoenix Mercury and Washington Mystics after breaking into the league in 2019. Over the course of her career, she has put up 5.9 points and 2.3 assists per game on 40.2 percent shooting. Just this past offseason, she was named Defensive Player of the Year at Athletes Unlimited, where she also landed on the All-Defensive Team. While Peddy may offer exactly what the Fever need, the return of CC might have some more hiccups.

The Indiana Fever Desperately Need Caitlin Clark to Return to the Hardwood

A win against the Connecticut Sun does not feel like one for the Indiana Fever. They lost their key starter in that game. Now they have to face a league-leading Minnesota Lynx, who stand at 28-5 and show no signs of slowing down. Truth be told, Indiana’s patched-up roster looks ill-equipped for the challenge. On top of that, Clark has faced her third injury this season.

The news first broke through insider Scott Agness, who reported on X: “NEWS: Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark tweaked her left ankle during a workout in Phoenix, league sources told Fieldhouse Files.” An analyst later clarified that Clark is dealing with a mild bone bruise, an injury that typically sidelines players for four to six weeks. The bruise, often caused by a twisted ankle, affects the bone beneath the surface. In Clark’s case, it comes on top of a lingering right groin issue.

Her latest setback comes just a day after Sophie Cunningham’s MRI revealed a torn MCL in her right knee. However, she is expected to make a full recovery ahead of next year. To stay afloat, Indiana has turned again to Odyssey Sims, signing her to a second seven-day hardship contract. Sims, who joined the Fever on August 10, has already appeared in three games. She started against the Connecticut Sun, delivering a 19 points and seven assists stint. But it is the Caitlin Clark magic that the team needs to even have a fighting chance in the postseason.