Caitlin Clark Makes Bold Statement Ahead of WNBA Season

The WNBA season is just weeks away, and one of the biggest storylines will be Caitlin Clark's return to the floor for her third season after a sophomore campaign plagued by injury.

She appeared in just 13 games last season while dealing with multiple injuries, the most significant coming right before the All-Star break - where she was named a captain for the event in her home market of Indianapolis. Clark ultimately suffered a groin injury that sidelined her for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.

Now fully healthy, she already competed in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in March, where she earned MVP honors. With training camp underway, Clark has spoken to the media several times this week, and during Wednesday's Media Day for the Indiana Fever, she delivered a confident and pointed message about her role moving forward.

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When discussing the backcourt and the possibility of sharing ball-handling duties, Clark made it clear she still views herself as the league's best transition player and doesn't want that part of her game reduced.

"I think mostly on dead balls, I think I'm the best transition player in the league. That's where I thrive, everybody knows that's my game," Clark said. "So getting the ball off a rebound or in transition, that's probably why I'm going to be the primary ball handler more than anything. Then getting off the ball a little bit and catching your breath - it is exhausting bringing the ball up 94 feet against pressure. So we definitely need to find somebody that can handle the ball a little bit."

Clark went on to discuss potential teammates who could take on increased responsibility as secondary ball handlers when she is on or off the court, highlighting rookie Raven Johnson, Tyasha Harris, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough, Kelsey Mitchell, and even forwards such as Aliyah Boston.

"I think Raven and Ty, and even other people through camp - Tori has done a great job, [Kelsey] does it a little bit, and I think our fours and fives can do that," Clark added. "You saw AB do that a lot last year when we were in trouble injury-wise."

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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 12:32 PM.