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No player in the WNBA faced more pressure or a heavier burden of expectation than Caitlin Clark did a year ago. After a slow start, Clark more or less lived up to those expectations, helping the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
But now in year two, it seems as if the pressure on Clark will be even greater, and she has WNBA general managers to thank. The league conducted an anonymous preseason survey of all 13 teams in the WNBA. The survey addressed a number of topics, but Clark and Fever came up more than any other team in the league.
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 15, 2025
WNBA General Managers Heap Praise On Caitlin Clark And Indiana Fever
WNBA GMs named claimed that the Fever made the best overall moves this season, are the most improved team in the league, will be the most fun team to watch, and have the most promising young core with Clark and star forward Aliyah Boston. Indiana was also named the second most likely team to reach the WNBA Finals out of the Eastern Conference behind the defending champion New York Liberty.
Additionally, Clark was named the player that general managers would most want to sign if starting a franchise today, as well as the league’s best guard.
“There’s always expectations and pressure to perform,’ Clark said recently when asked about the pressure. “We understand the spotlight. People expect this team to win, and that’s exactly what we want to do for our fans and this organization. Me personally, I wouldn’t want it any other way. If there is that pressure, it’s just something you embrace. You just rise to the occasion because you wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Clark isn’t one to back down from a challenge. But she’ll have a tall task ahead of her this season to meet the expectations placed on her and her Fever teammates by opposing GMs.