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Candace Parker dismisses 'naysayers' who believe Fever better without Caitlin Clark

Chandler Vesselsby: Chandler Vessels08/06/25ChandlerVessels
candace parker (2)
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Candace Parker isn’t having it when people say the Indiana Fever are better without Caitlin Clark. It became a narrative for some during the team’s recent five-game winning streak that came with Clark sidelined due to a right groin injury.

However, Parker knows the value that a player like Clark brings to her team. That’s why she believes the rest of the league should be afraid whe Clark finally does come back.

“For those naysayers out there that say, ‘they’re better without Caitlin,’ they’re not,” Parker said on Post Moves with co-host Aliyah Boston, who is also Clark’s teammate. “They’re not better without Caitlin. But I do feel like times like this, different people step up. Just like Natasha Howard stepped up during the Commissioner’s Cup. It shows and it can be a growth opportunity for teams.

“Caitlin is one of those people that has a high IQ. So I know that she’s watching and I know she’s gonna come back and make you all that much better. So it honestly is scary because not only are you allowing other people to step up, but you’re allowing Caitlin to survey and realize how she can add.”

In reality, the Fever’s record hasn’t changed all that much with Clark off the court. The team is 9-8 in the games that she has missed and 8-5 in games she has played this season. That actually seems to suggest they are slightly worse without her.

However, Clark’s absence has allowed for others to step up as well. Even Fever coach Stephanie White described it as being somewhat of a “blessing in disguise,” even if it’s not how they hoped the season would go.

“I think it says a lot about this group,” she said. “You know we’ve got a deep team. …I think I said it early when C[lark] was out the very first time, while we don’t like it, sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise, because everybody else finds themselves. And no one is afraid to make the big play, offensively or defensively.

“We’ve got a really good group, that’s unselfish. That want to win. That play well together and for each other and when one person doesn’t have it, somebody else does. And I think it makes us really, really difficult to scout when that happens.”

All that could shape up for the Fever to be an even scarier team once Caitlin Clark does return to the court, to Candace Parker’s point. Currently, they sit at fifth place in the WNBA standings but are only 1.5 games behind third place and 2.5 games behind second place.

Depending on how quickly Clark can get back, they could make a push for home court advantage in the postseason. Indiana’s next game is against the Phoenix Mercury at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday.