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The Indiana Fever will have one player out while another remains doubtful amid Caitlin Clark‘s preseason debut against the Dallas Wings on May 3.
Fever forward Damiris Dantas is away from the team at the moment due to a visa issue according to a league source via the Indianapolis Star. A Brazilian citizen, Dantas has played eight years in the WNBA, and she was heading back to the U.S. from playing in a Turkey pro league.
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell remains doubtful amid an ankle injury from her time at the 3×3 U.S. national team cap in April. Mitchell has spent the past six seasons with the Fever.
“Right before she was supposed to go to 3×3, she was getting work in and got an ankle injury,” Fever head coach Christie Sides told reporters on April 28 via the Star. “She’s working, and it’s day to day. I mean, she was out there today. You guys saw her on the bike and getting shots up. But she’s really getting there faster than we thought.”
Clark is healthy and ready to go in her first-ever and much-anticipated WNBA debut. The former Iowa standout has risen to superstar status over the past two years amid her NCAA all-time scoring record and going No. 1 in the WNBA Draft last month.
Fever Head Coach Christie Sides: ‘the Eyes Are on us’
Amid Clark’s wild fame, Sides acknowledged “the eyes are on us” this season. That’s a far cry from a Fever squad that hasn’t posted a record above .500 since 2016 and received back-to-back No. 1 picks since 2023.
With Clark and 2023 top pick Aliyah Boston, that’s expected to change. That doesn’t mean Sides expects anything to improve automatically with elite talent around.
“Everything is earned. Make sure we’re in a ‘no deposit, no return’ mindset,” Sides told her team on April 30 via Fever social media. “You’ve got to put it in.”
Analyst Makes Bold Claim on Caitlin Clark Future
While Clark isn’t talking championship in 2024 for the Fever, ESPN analyst Pat McAfee is.
“Caitlin Clark’s gonna win the next six championships,” McAfee said during his show on May 3. “Aces, congrats on your little run. That was fun, wasn’t it? Welcome to the Fever’s W.”
Clark dominated at Iowa and led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back Final Four appearances but never took home a national title. The Fever haven’t won a title since 2012 — the franchise’s only championship.
If Clark could collect six rings, it would rival the likes of American professional team sports greats Michael Jordan with six, Tom Brady with seven, and the late Bill Russell with 11. Clark just wants to make the playoffs this year.
“Yeah, I think [a championship] is certainly where our organization wants to get back to, but I think our goal this year is to get back to the playoffs, building blocks slowly one step at a time. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket,” Clark told reporters on May 1. “I think our team, and all the talent on our team, can really feel the potential that this group really has.”
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