The first half of the WNBA season was a bit of a rollercoaster for the Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark. Between scuffles, hard fouls, and some injuries plaguing Clark, it was a grind.
The Fever had a taxing first half of the year, which was met by the much-needed All-Star break to allow them to catch their breath as a team and allow Clark to continue to heal from a nagging groin injury.
But, as good teams do, they find ways to win. The Fever squeaked out a 12-11 record in the first half and are looking to regroup as the stretch run approaches. With the first half of the season in the rearview mirror, the Fever still earned a fair grade despite barely being over .500.
In their WNBA midseason grades, CBS Sports gave Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever a B- that has room for optimism and improvement.
Indiana Fever: B-
Caitlin Clark will not play in the Fever’s first game out of the break, a road trip to face the Liberty, due to a right groin issue. This is the third different soft tissue injury she’s dealt with this season, and after Tuesday night will have appeared in 13 of the Fever’s 24 games. Add in the Commissioner’s Cup championship and it’s 13 of 25. When she has been on the court, Clark has been unable to buy a 3-pointer. She’s 2 of 35 from downtown on the road, and is shooting 27.9% from 3-point range for the season. And yet, the Fever are in sixth place with the fourth-best net rating. All the metrics say this is one of the best teams in the league with Clark healthy, but whether she’ll be able to stay on the court remains to be seen. – Jack Maloney, CBS Sports
If Caitlin Clark can return to form and get her health back, the Indiana Fever have the pieces in place to contend for a deep run in the WNBA playoffs. That question of her health, though, remains the biggest one across the entire league right now.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: CBS shares midseason WNBA report card for Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever
Reporting by Riley Donald, Hawkeyes Wire / Hawkeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
