In a matter of months, Caitlin Clark will start her career in the WNBA. Projected to be selected first-overall by the Indiana Fever, how immediate will her impact be?
Well, she's already making one and she hasn't even slipped a Fever jersey over her head yet.
Safe to say Indiana #Fever fans are ready for some Caitlin Clark. pic.twitter.com/KbkvRHEcmE
— Eliot Clough (@EliotClough) March 3, 2024
when is 2024 wNBA Draft?
Once Women's March Madness comes to a close, eligible players will have about five minutes to prepare for the WNBA draft on April 15th.
No seriously, a little over a week separates the National Championship game and the ceremony. No training or development camps, just jump right into it.
For ladies like Clark, that's no problem. She's been showcasing her skillsets by sinking unfathomable three-pointers and dropping 40-plus point nights -- which now, seems uncannily normal for us to watch her do.
caitlin clark already impacting WNBA's Indiana Fever
Aside from the usual WNBA Championship odds, where Indiana carries +2200 odds, futures bets for the women's league have been next to impossible to find.
Not anymore.
You can now bet on win totals and playoff chances for one team -- the Indiana Fever.
indiana fever win total Odds with caitlin clark
| Wins | Odds |
|---|---|
| OVER 22.5 | +100 |
| UNDER 22.5 | -120 |
Odds as of April 4, 2024
Indiana managed 13 wins last year, burying the group at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with no postseason in sight.
But, the Fever is going to spike this season.
More data from VividSeats:
— Cassandra Negley (@CasNegley) March 1, 2024
- site traffic to the Fever home page spiked 180% overnight
- avg listed price for Fever home opener spiked 303%
- Fans will travel on avg 314 miles to see Fever compared to 237 miles last yr. Distance from Iowa City to Indy? 366 miles. https://t.co/F25nGdH8o1
The current roster is already promising. South Carolina's Aliyah Boston cruised to Rookie Of The Year, Kelsey Mitchell's 18.2 PPG sat in the league's top 10 and NaLyssa Smith's 9.2 rebounds ranked fourth (barely behind the Breanna Stewart).
Now, imagine Clark in that lineup.
Not only can her ability shine on its own. But, she'll be a much-needed support and addition to this Indiana group.
where caitlin clark will fit in with indiana fever
Mitchell's 2.5 three-pointers is already fourth-best in the nation. Clark has been shooting 5.2 3PG. Those two sharing space beyond the arc creates plenty of space to dodge defensive coverage and doubles opportunity to get three-points on the board.
Boston and Clark spent basically their whole collegiate careers facing each other. Boston knows how the senior operates and visualizes the court, making her a step ahead in adjustment. There's already a connection brewing as two of college basketball's modern-day stars are about to play side-by-side.
Then, there's NaLyssa Smith, who is already a rebounding machine. Chances of attacking the glass will never be more available than alongside Clark -- Smith will be the rookie's new Hannah Stuelke on the court.
This pass from Caitlin Clark to Hannah Stuelke to end Q1 🥽pic.twitter.com/o6QWbz8bIc
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) March 30, 2024
will caitlin clark help the indiana fever make the wNBA Playoffs?
Short answer -- why the heck not?
Having not seen the postseason since 2016, the Fever are -240 favorites to make the playoffs this season.
| Option | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | -240 |
| No | +180 |
Odds as of April 4, 2024
Based on all the helicopter coverage of Clark recently, she clearly gives off a stone-cold vibe when it comes to nerves.
As a freshman, the Iowa native was already averaging 26.6 PPG. To put that into perspective, the second-highest WNCAAB average this season was Juju Watkins 27.1 PPG. Which is no discredit to Watkins, who is clearly going to flourish to become a generational name.
I really reject the idea that Clark is going to travel through any type of adjustment period. Its natural skill and talent. Clark is going to take the WNBA by storm and Indiana is going to be an instant threat.
