Caitlin Clark hasn't had the best start to her WNBA career, as the Indiana Fever are still a young and inexperienced team. The former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar made her much-awaited debut last week, but so far, the Fever have been unable to get their first win of the season.
The struggles have been visible for the Fever. Here, let's look at three ways the Fever is hurting Clark's development.
3 ways Indiana Fever is slowing down Caitlin Clark's development
#3. The Fever is slow to rotate on defense
The defense has been a key factor in the Fever's struggles to start this season. They've allowed opponents to score 458 points, 74 fewer than they've scored in the first five games of the campaign. They are slow to rotate and do not switch coverages, allowing opponents to drive to the basket with ease.
Aliyah Boston is a solid defender, but she's still away from the elite of the league in that department. Plus, she's only in her second year in the league, and her development is almost at Clark's level.
#2. The offense is stagnant
The Fever's offense isn't a well-oiled machine by any means. They note that Clark often gets trapped by defenders. Seeing her nature as a perimeter player, this shouldn't happen.
Screens are also a problem for this team. Outside of Clark, the Fever has no shooters to work with. This is crucial if they want to release pressure off her shoulders as she continues her development.
Clark is still young, and her professional career is only five games old. The future should present better opportunities for her, but if the Fever don't make the right moves, she would be stuck in a team that won't move the needle.
#1. Coaching isn't helping Caitlin Clark
The Fever's coaching staff hasn't delivered so far this season. Something as simple as inbound plays aren't practiced properly by the Fever. Compared with the LA Sparks, the Fever have a lot of work to do, as Cameron Brink is used more effectively than Caitlin Clark.
Christie Sides has never been above .500 in the WNBA, either as a head coach or an assistant. During Wednesday's night game against the Seattle Storm, Sides sent Aliyah Boston to the bench for a big chunk of the second half, and Clark wasn't on the court during crunch time.
It seems like the roster and the inexperience are playing against the Fever, but the management is also responsible for this bad situation.