It was the second last regular season game. With 1:46 left in the first half, the Fever was leading. Caitlin Clark made her move to the rim. Dallas’ Natasha Howard met her at the basket. Clark went down hard. Howard fell on top of her. Clark lay on the floor for a moment, hands over her face. Then came an offensive foul on Clark. The entire arena froze. Fever Nation held its breath. But it turned out to be a loose ball foul instead. That collective exhale you heard? That was every Fever fan dodging a bullet with her.

Because if that foul had stuck as a technical, it would’ve been her seventh. And in WNBA rules, that would’ve meant Clark sitting out the final regular season game. But there she was—smiling, actually laughing. Later, Clark admitted the team had been doing a good job of, in her words, “babysitting” her. 

Even coach Christie Sides chimed in, saying the team was always giving her reminders to cool it when the heat rises. But that’s what makes her Caitlin Clark. The competitiveness. The passion. The refuse-to-back-down attitude. New head coach Stephanie White knows it too. And she’s not trying to dim that spark. 

In her words, “That’s what makes her special, right?” But she’s also been real with CC about channeling that fire in smarter ways. “It’s not like momentum-changing technicals we can’t have. The unnecessary ones we can’t have,” White said. And she’s not wrong. Techs were a major thing if we look back at Clark’s rookie year. 

She finished her rookie season with six technicals, tied with Diana Taurasi and Kahleah Copper for second-most in the league. The leader was Natasha Cloud, who already got suspended after reaching the limit. One more for Clark, and she would’ve been in the same boat.

And we can’t really say that those techs didn’t hurt. Take that game against the Connecticut Sun on May 20. Clark let out a profane outburst at a ref late in the fourth quarter and got a tech. Sure, the Sun missed the free throw, but they got the rebound, tied it, and then went on to win 88–84. A game the Fever could’ve had. 

That one hot-headed outburst many believed shifted the whole vibe. Hence, Coach White isn’t messing around this season. “The margin for error in this league to win a championship is so small and if one technical in a game changes the momentum, and causes you to lose it, that’s it,” she said.

White wants her players to focus on winning smart. She even pointed out how Tamika Catchings, Fever legend, handled her fire. Everyone would agree that she never let her emotions cost the team a game. “She’s got to focus on her talent and not get caught up in the refs,” Catchings also advised Clark.

White summed it up best: “You don’t want to stifle the things that make her great. But you also have to take into consideration all of the things that go into the ultimate opportunities for success for your team.” Because this Fever team isn’t just chasing playoff dreams anymore, they’re going all in. From opening at +1300 odds to win the title, they’ve jumped to +450. That’s no fluke.

They’ve been cooking this offseason with re-signing Kelsey Mitchell, and adding depth and veteran firepower with Sophie Cunningham, DeWanna Bonner, and Sydney Colson. Plus, they have secured solid ones in 2025 Draft. There’s no doubt this squad is built different. And it’s not just the team that’s evolving. The Caitlin Clark Effect has reached new heights… even in preseason.

Caitlin Clark’s homecoming preseason game gets national spotlight

ESPN is stepping up to broadcast what’s believed to be the WNBA’s first-ever nationally televised preseason game and no surprise here, it stars Caitlin Clark. On May 4, the Fever will take on Brazil’s national team in none other than Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Clark’s old stomping grounds at Iowa. 

Unless there’s a Game 7 in the NBA playoffs, the 5 p.m. CT tipoff is staying on ESPN. And tickets sold out in just 45 minutes when they went up. Fever president Kelly Krauskopf even said, “Countless Hawkeye fans have become Fever fans, and we consider them family. That’s what will make this preseason matchup so special for us.”

Clark’s return to Iowa is about more than just basketball. It’s about the community that watched her grow into a superstar. Fans have been begging for more accessible preseason coverage for years. Last season, when the Sky played the Lynx in an exhibition, there was no official broadcast but over two million people watched it via a phone stream on X. 

“The growth is happening so fast,” Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve said at the time. “Business as usual isn’t going to work anymore.” She saw it coming and now it’s here. Clark and the Fever kick off their regular season on May 17, but the spotlight’s already burning bright. Of their 44 games this season, 41 will be televised or streamed nationally. The most of any team. That includes 10 on ABC/ESPN and 8 on ION.

Last year, six different TV partners recorded their highest-ever WNBA viewerships—all in games that featured the Fever and CC. No one’s moving numbers like she is. So, all in all, now with more eyes on them, a revamped squad, a new coach, and a fire Caitlin Clark is learning to control without losing, this season could be the golden one Indy has been waiting for.