Caitlin Clark Leads Fever Somewhere Team Hasn't Been in 8 Years

The Caitlin Clark effect is undeniable, and now the Indiana Fever have the record to prove it.

Indiana outlasted the Dallas Wings on Sunday, September 1, capturing a 100-93 victory and moving to 17-16 on the season. Clark contributed 28 points and 12 assists to the winning effort.

Not only did the victory mark the first time that the Fever have eclipsed the .500 mark this year, it also gave the franchise a winning record for the first time in eight years.

The last time Indiana was above .500 in the standings came in 2016, and selecting No. 1 overall in back-to-back WNBA drafts has proven the boon the Fever needed to get over the hump and back into winning territory after nearly a decade. Indiana selected Aliyah Boston with the first pick in 2023 and followed with Clark in 2024.

The Fever are now 6-1 since the league resumed play following the All-Star break and approximately a full month off while some of its biggest stars captured gold for Team USA at the Summer Olympics in Paris.

Clark was not on the Olympic roster, which came as something of a surprise to many WNBA fans given her talent and status as perhaps the most recognizable female athlete in the country. The break, however, afforded Clark the chance to rest and develop her skill set further after two consecutive runs to NCAA Championship Games and then a whirlwind start to her professional career.

Clark is averaging 18.4 points, 8.3 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.4 steals through 32 games played and is a prohibitive favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors, even despite Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky setting two all-time WNBA records on Sunday for the most offensive rebounds and the most total rebounds in a single season.

The play of Indiana's rookie has helped the Fever go from a 1-8 start in May -- when it was playing more frequently than any other team, as the WNBA successfully took advantage of Clark's popularity to boost ticket sales and television ratings -- to a 16-8 mark since.

The Fever have just seven regular season games remaining and are currently sixth in the WNBA standings , sitting one game ahead of the Phoenix Mercury . The top eight teams in the league earn a berth in the playoffs, which begin on September 22.