The Indiana Fever are set to play three preseason games before the start of the 2026 WNBA season. They will visit the New York Liberty on Saturday, April 25, before hosting the Dallas Wings on April 30 and the Nigeria Women’s National Team on May 2 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Indiana began training camp on April 19, with 16 players vying for 12 active roster spots and two player development spots. The front office was busy in the offseason, bringing back seven players from last year, signing six free agents and drafting three young players.
Caitlin Clark and Makayla Timpson received a raise, while Aliyah Boston became the first player in WNBA history to sign an EPIC extension. Boston signed a four-year, $6.3 million contract.
Caitlin Clark Announces News About Her Preseason Workload
GettyCaitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever reacts after a play during the second half against the Connecticut Sun at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on August 28, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday’s Media Day, Clark shared a bit of an update on her playing time in the preseason. She’s coming off an injury-plagued campaign last year, so the Fever are going to be cautious with their superstar guard.
“I’m not going to go out there and play 30 minutes on Saturday,” Clark said, via Olympics.com. “That won’t be the case. I think mostly off the ball and mostly on dead balls. I think I’m the best transition player in the league. That’s where I thrive.”
The 2024 Rookie of the Year added, “Everybody knows that’s my game, so getting the ball off a rebound or in transition, that’s why I’m probably going to be the primary ball handler more than anything, and then getting off the ball a little bit and catching your breath.”
Clark played just 13 games last season due to multiple muscle-related injuries. She first dealt with a couple of left quad injuries from the preseason until the early season. She then endured two groin injuries that kept her out for the majority of the campaign, as detailed by Ian Levy of FanSided.
However, the injury that ended Clark’s season was a sprained ankle she endured during her rehabilitation from her strained groin.
Raven Johnson Squashes Caitlin Clark Beef Talk
GettyCaitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes dribbles around Raven Johnson #25 of the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second half during the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio.
One of the biggest stories heading into the Fever’s training camp was the supposed beef between Clark and rookie Raven Johnson. There seemed to be some bad blood after what happened during the 2023 NCAA championship game, though Johnson has squashed any rumors about her relationship with Clark.
“I mean, yesterday they were just throwing plays at me, and I’m like, ‘Oh, gosh. Geez, they run a lot of plays,'” Johnson said, via Athlon Sports. “But Caitlin Clark was helping me through all the hard times. She was helping me. I was like, ‘What do I do here?’ or ‘Where should I cut?’ I was asking her a lot of questions. … I think I asked her probably like 1,000 questions yesterday.”
That’s certainly good news for the Fever’s chemistry heading into the new season. They are one of the teams considered to challenge for a WNBA championship.
Caitlin Clark Announces Workload News Before First Preseason Game