ESPN: Breaking down where Caitlin Clark improved over WNBA offseason

ESPN’s Alexa Philippou broke down Caitlin Clark’s approach to Year 2 in the WNBA and expects a massive leap from the Rookie of the Year. Already a superstar in the league after her stellar college career, Clark wants more with the Indiana Fever in 2025.

She dedicated her entire offseason to getting better and to be able to chase a championship. As Philippou put it, Clark is never one to lack confidence on the court.

Indiana and Clark have a new look team, with just five players from last year’s squad still around. They open the season Saturday at home vs. the Chicago Sky at 3:00 p.m. ET?

“Well, we call Caitlin Clark, CC, right? So let me give you (some) C’s to describe her approach. One is comfort. Another one is confidence,” Philippou said on SportsCenter. “Comfort is coming from just being through that first year, the ups and downs that came with that she’s been able to get through it, and then she knows now she belongs. That’s how she framed it to reporters yesterday when she spoke to the media. But then also the confidence is coming from her preparation this off season. 

“And I’ll give you another, three, it’s coming from that consistency that she had in the weight room and on the court she was working all off season in Indianapolis with the Fever staff there, trying to get her body stronger, that way she could deal with the physicality in the league. Then also working on the nuances of her game. Because we know that for Caitlin Clark … four: she wants to win a championship, right? So for them it’s about that championship. She feels that she has the growth in the offseason to try and help her team do that even though, as we know with the Fever, something they’ve talked about all pre season, it might take a little bit of time for those pieces to come together because they only have five returners from that team last year.”

In 40 games last year, Clark put up 19.2 points per game, 5.7 rebounds per game, 8.4 assists per game, shot 41.7% from the floor and 34.4% from three-point range. If Clark improves upon those numbers, the former Iowa star and No. 1 overall pick is going to be in the conversation for WNBA MVP and have the Fever in title contention.