Currently, there are more questions than answers regarding the 2026 WNBA season.
One thing is certain, though: The Indiana Fever will be one of the most fascinating teams to watch. (And you’ll be able to do so, as all 44 of their games are on national TV.)
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They are at the epicenter of women’s basketball culture, not only overflowing with intriguing storylines but also oozing so much star power and talent that they could win it all.
The heights this team can reach will not be determined this spring, but we begin to get clues about their championship upside. So, here are three aspects to keep an eye on with the Fever during training camp and in preseason action.
Everything starts and ends with Caitlin Clark
What Indiana’s year will be like will depend on how well Caitlin Clark plays. Last season, Clark’s year was cut short due to a groin injury, but now she’s back and ready to play.
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What levels of greatness can she reach?
During her rookie season, Clark averaged 19.2 points per game and converted on 34 percent of her 3-point attempts. If she can take her play to another level, the Fever move into another category and become legit title contenders.
In that first year, Clark was the sun, and her teammates revolved around her. She held the ball and got the offense started most of the time. That’s a lot to ask of a rookie playing in a league as tough and physical as the WNBA. Overall, she did well, but there were times when defenders got the better of her, and moments when it looked like the fatigue of constantly bringing the ball up caught up with her.
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This year, there’s an opportunity for her operate more frequently off the ball, especially if players like first-round draft pick Raven Johnson can demonstrate the ability to run the offense during preseason. Clark discussed how exhausting it is to play so much on-ball during her media availability this week.
Without Clark, the Fever were a formidable team last year. They beat the Dream in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual-champion Aces in five-game semifinal series, when they pushed Vegas to overtime in the series finale.
While that was a gutsy team effort, now the Fever will have their own ace in Clark, ready and available. And if she’s as good as people think she is, they should be in the running for a title in 2026.
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Overall, the core from the Fever last year is back. But can everyone co-exist with Clark returning?
This might sound ridiculous, but it can become a problem.
Aliyah Boston is a post player who needs her touches to excel. Last year, she attempted 11.5 shots per game, which was a career high. In Clark’s absence, Kelsey Mitchell stepped up and was an All-Star player and made All-WNBA First Team.
Mitchell, like Boston, also had a career high in field goal attempts with 9.3 per game.
If the biggest problem the Fever have is that there is just one ball, then that’s a good problem to have. However, even good problems are problems.
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Indiana has to figure out how to have these three All-Stars co-exist in perfect harmony. That’s a difficult thing to master on the fly.
The Fever will most certainly be using training camp and preseason games to try and master the mathematics of this tricky equation. Yet, it’ll likely be a year-long work in progress and one of the most important things head coach Stephanie White will have to figure out.
Can Stephanie White push the right buttons?
Speaking of White, she’s also going to have the spotlight on her this year. She’s tasked will balancing her team’s talent, determining how much offensive responsibility will be placed Clark compared to how much usage Boston and Mitchell should recieve.
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White runs the show in Indy, and that’s been proven to be a good thing. Across five seasons as a head coach, White has never had a losing season. This year, with the expectation high, she’ll have to prove that she can handle all the outside noise and elevate her team’s play.
We’ll begin to see that a bit this weekend when preseason begins. The Fever take the court on Saturday, meeting the New York Liberty in Brooklyn (3 p.m. ET, ION). As preseason progresses, we’ll begin to get a clearer understanding of how White envisions the rotations and responsibilities shaking out.
Regardless of how good or bad things are in Indiana, one thing is for sure: It will be national news. They are the biggest thing in the WNBA, with just as many people rooting for success as there are hoping for failure.
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The focus is on the Fever.
