Caitlin Clark’s No. 22 now hangs in the rafters at the University of Iowa, a lasting tribute to her legendary collegiate career. The all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history, Clark rewrote the record books while leading Iowa to back-to-back national championship appearances. Her transition to the WNBA has been just as explosive, earning Rookie of the Year honors, breaking multiple records and leading the Indiana Fever to their first playoff berth since 2016. Now, with a full offseason to develop, a revamped roster and a new head coach, Clark faces even greater expectations in her second campaign.
Cunningham’s Viral Take on Clark and Swift
One of the Fever’s biggest offseason moves was the acquisition of former Phoenix Mercury sharpshooter Sophie Cunningham in a four-team trade. In her first public comments since joining Indiana, Cunningham made waves with a pop culture analogy about her new backcourt mate. “I’ll be their Sabrina Carpenter to their Taylor Swift any day,” Cunningham said on Sports & Shenanigans. While the reference to Swift and Carpenter’s close friendship is apt, given that Sabrina has opened for Swift on several occasions, Sophie is probably referring to the fact that she would do anything to make Clark and the team successful. The irony isn’t lost on Cunningham, who plays the “Carpenter” role and is actually the veteran of the duo. The 27-year-old brings leadership and perimeter shooting to a Fever team looking to take the next step in 2025.
Cunningham’s addition is part of a broader push by Indiana to build a contender around Clark. Along with her arrival, the Fever re-signed Kelsey Mitchell – who matched Clark’s 19.2 points per game last season – to a max contract. They also brought in two veteran forwards, DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard, both with championship pedigrees. Cunningham’s presence will help stretch the floor, as the guard has shot 36.2% from deep in her WNBA career. Despite a dip in production in 2024 (8.4 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.0 APG), she remains a dangerous perimeter threat who will benefit from Clark’s elite playmaking.
New Season a Better Clark
Expectations are high for Clark entering her sophomore campaign. After setting the league’s single-season assist record and breaking the rookie three-point record, she opted to skip offseason events like the Unrivaled League and the NBA All-Star Weekend three-point contest to focus on her development. With a stronger supporting cast and another year of experience, Clark is expected to step up both her scoring and leadership as she looks to push the Fever deeper into the playoffs. If history is any indication, she won’t just meet expectations – she’ll exceed them.
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