3 improvements Caitlin Clark will need to focus on in her second WNBA season

Caitlin Clark took the WNBA by storm last season, running away with last year's Rookie of the Year award while leading the Indiana Fever back to the postseason for the first time since 2016. The Fever capitalized on Clark's popularity among fans and her fellow players this offseason, bringing in stars like DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard to the team via free agency.

This year's Indiana Fever team is better on paper than 2024's, but with a better roster comes higher expectations, especially for Caitlin Clark. Clark will be expected to top a stellar rookie campaign where she received All-Star recognition and a spot on the All-WNBA first team.

Let's highlight three areas where Clark needs to improve in order to lead her team past the first round of the playoffs.

3 improvements Caitlin Clark will need to focus on in her second WNBA season

#1, Gel with her new teammates

Caitlin Clark had a lot of success last season as a playmaker. She operated an effective pick-and-roll with fellow top overall pick Aliyah Boston and found shooters like Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull throughout the season. However, the Fever are adding six new players to their roster this season, and chemistry will need to be built before the squad can compete on the highest level.

As the starting point guard and main facilitator on the team, Clark and new Fever head coach Stephanie White will need to work together to operate an offense that makes the most of their re-tooled roster. Natasha Howard, Bonner and Boston should be able to take some of the scoring pressure off of Clark, but they will depend on her plamaking to put them in the best positions to score.

One of the best things about playing with Clark is taking advantage of her offensive versatility. Even though she is only in her second professional season, Clark has shown that she can run a variety of offenses, depending on who is sharing the court with her. The Fever are expected to be more focused on paint scoring this season, a new system Clark should have no trouble fitting into.

#2, Step forward physically

Caitlin Clark put together one of the better offensive seasons in recent WNBA history as a rookie, but once the playoffs started, the Connecticut Sun took advantage of one of her biggest weaknesses; her lack of physicality. Alyssa Thomas and co. put heavy pressure on Clark as she brought the ball up the floor, refusing to let her get comfortable in their first round series.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, the Sun's strategy worked, as Caitlin Clark became more timid with the ball and gave it up far more easily as the series went on, failing to create legitimate space for her teammates. However, Clark seems determined to not be taken out of a series like that again, dedicating her offseason to working in the gym to add muscle and building out her frame.

As much as this improvement is dependent on Clark's physical stature, her mindset could be what determines how far she can lead the Fever. The former Iowa Hawkeye is a winner, but her playstyle is predicated on her three-point shooting prowess. Putting on more muscle in the offseason should help her gain confidence driving the lane, either to score herself or spray the ball out to shooters.

#3, Clark's defense needs to reach a new level

The Indiana Fever were one of the best offensive teams in the league last season, with Caitlin Clark and co. putting up 85 points per game. However, they were one of the worst defensive squads, giving up the second-most points per game in a season that saw them get scored on as easily as they scored. That isn't specifically Clark's fault, but she ranked 95th in defensive rating last season.

Caitlin Clark averaged 1.3 steals per game last season, but was a bit too optimistic on the defensive side of the ball, choosing to live in the passing lanes. She and her teammates struggled to put forward consistent defensive efforts, which came back to haunt them in the postseason when the Sun were able to dampen their red-hot offense.

Stephanie White's biggest challenge will be improving the Fever's defense, but with a platoon of new players coming in, combined with the team's desire to return to the postseason and prove themselves amongst the WNBA's elite, she should have no problem improving the team on that side of the floor. If Clark is able to share her dedication with her new team, the sky is the limit for the Fever.