INDIANAPOLIS — It appeared like each time new Indiana Fever basic supervisor Amber Cox checked her cellphone this offseason, she’d discover franchise celebrity Caitlin Clark on one other bucket-list journey, dwelling the lifetime of the A-list movie star she’d turn out to be. An Eras Tour live performance within the VIP tent in November. A Kansas Metropolis Chiefs sport in Taylor Swift’s suite in January. NFL annual league conferences alongside Serena Williams in March. The Masters in April.
However what impressed Cox essentially the most was what got here subsequent.
No matter the place Clark was or what occasion she was attending, she was virtually at all times again within the gymnasium at Gainbridge Fieldhouse by 8 a.m. the subsequent day.
“I sort of marveled at it,” Cox instructed ESPN.
Sarah Kessler, the Fever’s head athletic efficiency coach, additionally seen. “I might be like, you possibly can sleep in if you would like,” she instructed Clark. “I will nonetheless be right here.”
When Fever president Kelly Krauskopf was stunned Clark was again so quickly from a visit, Clark’s response was easy: “I could not miss a exercise,” she instructed Krauskopf.
This winter, whereas most of her friends performed abroad or within the new home 3-on-3 league Unequalled, Clark did not play aggressive basketball. Aside from her occasional star moments that popped up on TV or social media, she principally stayed out of the highlight. It was her first actual break since summer time 2023, earlier than her senior 12 months at Iowa.
However she did not step away from basketball fully. Day after day, in Indianapolis or wherever else her not-so-normal life took her, she honed her sport on the court docket and within the weight room — championing her routine above all.
“That is the place I will discover my confidence coming into this subsequent season,” she instructed ESPN, “is simply understanding I have been constant, and whether or not it has been the load room, whether or not it has been my ability growth, my taking pictures.”
As a rookie, Clark completed fourth in MVP voting and catapulted Indiana again to the playoffs for the primary time since 2016. Now she enters the 2025 marketing campaign rested and recharged, stronger than ever, and seeking to profit from a full offseason by which she labored on the nuances of her sport.
“She’s far past her years by way of her understanding of the right way to work,” Fever coach Stephanie White instructed ESPN. “Oftentimes you see rookies, even the good ones, the place it often takes three years for them to determine it out. She’s bought it discovered.”
Added Krauskopf, who beforehand led the Fever from 2000 to 2018: “I did not suppose I might discover anybody that’d labored as laborious as Tamika Catchings did within the offseason. Caitlin Clark is each bit as a lot and extra.”
The thought of her leveling up in 12 months 2, with a much-improved roster aspiring to win the group’s first championship since 2012? That is nothing wanting terrifying for the league as Clark — ESPN BET’s MVP favourite for 2025 — and the Fever open their season Saturday, internet hosting the Chicago Sky (ABC, 3 p.m. ET).
“[This year] there may be this completely different aura about it,” teammate Lexie Hull instructed ESPN, “that she’s right here and he or she’s able to care for enterprise.”
TWENTY-SIX DAYS separated Clark’s remaining sport at Iowa and her first WNBA preseason contest. She then launched her professional profession with 11 video games in 20 days, virtually all in opposition to top-echelon groups. She mirrored just lately on how the magnitude of all of it had lastly struck her: There was lots coming at her — and coming at her quick — as she transitioned to the W and to hovering worldwide fame.
Clark is “fairly good on the whirlwind,” as Iowa coach Jan Jensen put it, go-go-going and never pondering a lot in any respect about any of it till a respite lastly comes. As soon as the Fever season concluded — White’s Connecticut Solar swept Indiana within the first spherical — Clark may lastly decelerate and assess every thing that had occurred the previous couple of years as a result of, as Jensen mentioned, “Man, that was lots.”
As Clark deliberate her offseason, she prioritized her work on the court docket and within the weight room. Whereas Clark would take quick journeys for off-court obligations and alternatives, she discovered consolation in routine — “I am utterly effective with doing the identical factor each single day,” she mentioned. “That just about is soothing to me.” Staying in Indianapolis introduced a “large benefit,” White mentioned, as Clark ready for her sophomore season.
In fact, as a result of she’s nonetheless Caitlin Clark, life is not like these of many different 23-year-olds — or skilled athletes, for that matter. She performed golf with world No. 1 Nelly Korda and legend Annika Sorenstam at The Annika pro-am in November; was prominently featured in Nike’s first Tremendous Bowl advert in 27 years; appeared on David Letterman’s Netflix present, “My Subsequent Visitor Wants No Introduction”; and spoke on the NFL league conferences with Williams and Eli Manning.
However for Clark, few offseason endeavors may beat going to the Masters along with her household, the place she loved the absence of telephones across the inexperienced, the Georgia peach ice cream sandwich and one of the crucial thrilling finishes the occasion has ever seen.
“Sitting on the 18th inexperienced Sunday on the Masters is likely one of the coolest issues ever,” Clark mentioned.
0:49
Caitlin Clark’s busy offseason, from visiting Taylor Swift to Nelly Korda
Take a look at how Caitlin Clark has traveled the nation on a wide range of aspect quests throughout her first WNBA offseason.
As a Swiftie and longtime Chiefs fan, Clark additionally reveled in attending an NFL playoff sport at Arrowhead Stadium with Swift. Between assembly Swift, seeing star tight finish Travis Kelce rating a landing and having fun with a Chiefs win, it was the “good sport,” Clark mentioned.
“Once I noticed her sitting as a visitor within the Taylor Swift-Kelce field,” Jensen mentioned, “I used to be like, ‘What world, man? That is so superior.'”
“I believe what individuals do not at all times notice about individuals with a sure highlight, whether or not it is her, whether or not it is me, whether or not it is one other skilled athlete or a pop star, we’re actual individuals,” Clark mentioned of Swift. “We’re simply having regular conversations as every other particular person in Arrowhead Stadium that night time. She loves the Chiefs simply as a lot as I do. I am speaking soccer along with her. She beloved it, and similar to her ardour, and actually, most likely one of many sweetest individuals I’ve ever been round. And everyone says that whenever you meet her, however it’s actually true. She simply treats everyone with the identical quantity of kindness, and her household was nice.”
Cox, additionally a diehard Chiefs fan, mentioned Clark was humble about your entire expertise: “I am like, ‘OK, properly, how was the suite with Taylor?’ She’s like, ‘It was actually cool, she was actually cool.’ After which she’s simply off to her exercise. And also you’re similar to, ‘Inform me extra!’ I like that about her.”
0:56
Caitlin Clark: ‘The vibes are actually good’ with the brand new coach and teammates
Caitlin Clark says it has been a studying course of along with her new coach and teammates, however she highlights the crew’s robust physicality and tempo heading into the season.
For many of the offseason, away from all of the eyeballs and cameras, Clark lastly took a beat — getting a while off “the fixed treadmill she had been on,” as former Iowa coach Lisa Bluder put it. “I believe [the break] was nice for her physique, her thoughts, her soul, most likely,” White added.
“It was good to get away from every thing and simply sort of have the ability to reside my life as a standard particular person … to simply be Caitlin,” Clark mentioned. “Do not get me flawed, I like basketball and having the highlight and taking part in with my teammates … however finally getting away from that was actually wholesome for me.”
Simply being Caitlin entailed cooking and baking; spending time exterior and with household; and a pair journeys again to Iowa Metropolis, together with for her jersey retirement. There have been dinner events and sport nights with Hull and their vital others, after they’d play Gang of 4, Settlers of Catan, Monopoly Deal or card video games — and issues would flip aggressive.
“You see her and her boyfriend going at it, her and I going at it,” Hull mentioned. “I do not know if she and her boyfriend speak on the trip house as a result of it will get so aggressive, however it’s enjoyable.”
Being away from organized basketball was an adjustment after Clark had performed nonstop for the previous 12 months. However she was by no means removed from it. When Hull, who spent a lot of the offseason with Clark in Indianapolis, left for Unequalled, Clark texted her “on daily basis asking every thing about it,” Hull mentioned. Unequalled made appeals to get Clark to affix its inaugural season in Miami, and although she declined, Clark left the door open for future participation.
“You watch individuals taking part in in a league that you just’re not taking part in in, and you have been itching to play for months on finish, there’s like, ‘Oh, that appears so enjoyable,'” Hull mentioned. “For her this 12 months, it was actually essential to simply sit again and watch. … I believe it was the very best factor for her.”
IN EARLY MARCH, an sudden speaking level got here up throughout the Huge Ten ladies’s basketball event in Indianapolis: Caitlin Clark’s arms.
A photograph from the occasion of Clark cheering from the sideline for her Iowa Hawkeyes, arms flexed, went viral. Followers took discover of her clearly improved energy.
“There’s been a lot ado about her weapons,” mentioned Cox, who can be Indiana’s chief working officer.
“She was clearly very happy with it,” Kessler mentioned of the picture. “We did have a chuckle about it, although, as a result of it garnered extra consideration than we realized it could.”
Nicely somebody’s been within the weight room 👀😮💨 @CaitlinClark22 pic.twitter.com/yBU8p7tp31
— Bri Lewerke (@brilewerke) March 8, 2025
The picture was a peek into what Clark had been as much as within the offseason behind closed doorways, the place she and the “military” of individuals round her, as Clark put it, had been laborious at work in her first prolonged alternative to fine-tune her sport and physique as a professional.
“I do not know the final time I’ve had an athlete within the W, and even on the lads’s aspect, actually, the place you’ve got a constant four- to five-month interval the place you get to simply work collectively,” Kessler mentioned.
Added Jensen: “She did not know what she did not know till she knew it. And [then] it was like, ‘OK, now I will dial in right here, I will fine-tune this, I want to extend that.’ That is what’s been enjoyable about her at all times, is she actually loves the problem.”
Clark’s greatest offseason focus was to hit the load room. The physicality of the WNBA was a substantial adjustment for her final 12 months, and he or she has mentioned she thought it was opponents’ go-to technique of slowing her down. Constructing energy is tough to do throughout the season, however in October, Clark approached Kessler about including muscle mass.
“I’ve had athletes who’ve mentioned that, after which possibly when the work element exhibits as much as really obtain these targets, that is the place there’s possibly a disconnect,” Kessler instructed ESPN. “However with Caitlin, she set these targets and from the soar, I used to be seeing her within the weight room 4 to 5 occasions per week.”
0:24
Caitlin Clark ‘overwhelmed’ following Iowa jersey retirement
Caitlin Clark thanks her teammates after the Iowa Hawkeyes retire her No. 22 jersey.
Kessler focuses on a whole lot of single-leg work to construct explosiveness with guards, and Clark was no exception. Kessler included isometrics to assist Clark enhance her time below rigidity and maintain a low heart of gravity. She tends to play upright, White mentioned, which makes it simpler to get knocked off steadiness.
Single-arm workouts — Clark acknowledged her left arm beforehand was a bit too weak to throw sure passes — helped guarantee every limb was robust individually. To offer a further increase of power to her muscle tissues, Clark added the complement creatine to her routine.
If Clark went on the street, Kessler gave her lifts to do — and if she wanted to remain an additional day, Kessler would get up to a textual content from Clark asking for an additional project. The 2 met month-to-month to evaluate whether or not the info confirmed Clark was on observe to hit her targets.
Clark paired work with Kessler along with her on-court coaching, the place she labored with participant growth coach Keith Porter 5 to 6 days per week after he moved to Indianapolis in January. Porter and Kessler additionally spoke day by day to make sure Clark’s on-court and weight room work aligned.
Porter’s goal, he instructed ESPN, was to enrich Clark’s sport. They homed in on completely different footwork to get to her photographs, whereas additionally including floaters to her repertoire, constructing out her midrange sport and dealing on extra artistic finishes across the rim.
However it was a collaborative course of: One of many first questions Clark requested White after she was employed was if she may see the scouting report the Solar compiled in opposition to her final season. Quickly after White and Porter arrived in Indiana, they sat within the movie room with Clark, breaking down areas for enchancment and exhibiting her analytics that crystallized what she already felt: When she goes proper, for instance, she tends to complete on the rim greater than when she drives left, or when she likes to move or step again and shoot.
“It is simply subtleties. It is nuance,” White mentioned. “Simply little various things that we wished to not change, however tweak, add to, emphasize that may assist her be just a bit bit extra environment friendly and just a bit bit tougher to protect.”
Early of their coaching collectively, Porter tagged alongside as Clark took an prolonged journey out west — “I used to be gone for per week,” she mentioned, “and I am like, I am unable to do per week of nothing, I actually would have a panic assault. I’d hate that.” They’d get within the gymnasium earlier than or in between Clark’s off-court obligations. When she attended Nike’s annual conferences for a few days, the pair labored out within the LeBron James Innovation Heart.
“It is superb how she may steadiness doing occasions, going to work out, having conferences at Nike, then going again to work out,” Porter mentioned. “I am similar to, ‘You are 23. I do know you are younger, however you should not have this a lot power. She simply retains going and going and going.'”
The tip result’s a participant who operates with way more energy on the court docket, Kessler mentioned, and ought to be way more comfy and assured with no matter defensive protection she faces this season, Porter added.
Clark is “grateful” for each of them.
“They have been very accessible to me. They’re in right here with me at 8 a.m. serving to me prepare for moments like these,” Clark mentioned. “You hope it exhibits on the court docket, and I believe it actually will.”
Added Jensen: “She’s at all times understood what occurs at midnight. And I believe typically individuals neglect that about everyone that is nice. You simply do not get up and turn out to be a generational expertise.”
1:50
Caitlin Clark on her 36-foot 3: “I am at all times additional again than I really suppose”
Caitlin Clark tells Holly Rowe how particular it’s to play a preseason sport at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment along with her Fever teammates and discusses her 36-foot 3-pointer.
WHEN CLARK LAUNCHED a 36-foot 3-pointer at Carver-Hawkeye Enviornment final week, it was virtually as if no time had handed since she hit a basket from almost the identical spot as a senior to set the Division I ladies’s basketball profession scoring file in 2024.
The Fever had traveled to Iowa Metropolis for a Could 4 preseason exhibition, an opportunity for Clark to play once more in entrance of Hawkeye devoted. Jensen, Bluder and some of Clark’s former Iowa teammates watched courtside, her household sitting within the stands. Her mother, Anne, introduced home made sweets to go away within the locker room.
As Clark drilled that shot and offered Hawkeye followers with yet one more quintessential Caitlin Clark reminiscence — even some on the Fever bench regarded like they could not consider what they simply noticed — Jensen noticed the little child to whom she’d first supplied a scholarship within the seventh grade. The child who to this present day performs basketball with a mix of enjoyable, danger and pleasure that has captivated followers worldwide.
However the lightness that comes extra simply within the preseason will quickly slip away. The concentration is going to blare vibrant as soon as extra as Clark faces arguably her highest stakes but as a professional. When requested at media day how she would outline success this summer time, Clark responded matter-of-factly: “a championship.”
1:14
Earlier than They Had been Subsequent SC: Caitlin Clark’s rise to stardom
Take a look at Caitlin Clark’s rise to stardom from her early days in Iowa to turn out to be the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the 12 months.
That wasn’t within the dialog for her as a rookie, becoming a member of a crew that includes the longest playoff drought within the W. However seeking to change these fortunes, the Fever entrance workplace turned heads by buying DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham within the offseason.
MORE: Fantasy ladies’s basketball — 5 Fever gamers to draft
Krauskopf mentioned Clark helped the entrance workplace recruit free brokers within the winter by reaching out with a textual content or name, and offered enter on gamers Indiana was fascinated by. Being primarily based in Indianapolis this offseason gave Clark a front-row seat to the franchise’s progress, and Cox and Krauskopf mentioned Clark consistently asks questions on how the group operates and what goes into operating it.
“I by no means like to essentially evaluate in any respect, as a result of every participant is their very own participant and Diana Taurasi is the GOAT,” mentioned Cox, who beforehand was a longtime govt with the Phoenix Mercury. “The extent of funding that [Taurasi] had within the Mercury, [Clark’s interest in the Fever] jogs my memory of that.”
That mutual dedication is what Clark and the Fever hope will result in a championship within the close to future. A title stays elusive for Clark after she got here up quick in two nationwide championship sport appearances at Iowa.
“If you’ve achieved every thing that you could accomplish individually, however you do not have a championship, that is what it is about,” mentioned White, who led the Boilermakers to the NCAA title in 1999. “No offense, however we gained Huge Ten titles at Purdue; she gained Huge Ten titles at Iowa. It is the nationwide championship, proper? It is the WNBA championship.”
Regardless of how sizable her sophomore soar could possibly be, the WNBA is simply too good for a participant to single-handedly lead a crew to a title. Clark is aware of that, and it is why the Fever assembled the crew they did. And it is why each participant and franchise are hoping Clark’s work this offseason is a difference-maker not simply all through the summer time however deep into the playoffs in September and October.
“Caitlin desires to win, so she’s going to do no matter it takes to win,” Jensen mentioned. “If which means dish much more assists, if which means pullup middies, she’s labored on all of it. And she or he’ll do no matter it takes for them to get to the highest of the ladder.”
ESPN’s Michael Voepel contributed to this report.
