Caitlin Clark declares herself WNBA's 'best transition player,' Fever plan to manage her workload

The Fever are once again projected to be one of the WNBA's primary title contenders

Jack Maloney

Apr 22, 2026

8:41 pm ET

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5 min read

Imagn Images

The Indiana Fever held their annual media day on Wednesday ahead of the 2026 WNBA season, which will get underway in just over two weeks. On May 9, the Fever will host the Dallas Wings in a highly anticipated season-opener that will feature the last four No. 1 picks: Aliyah Boston (2023), Caitlin Clark (2024), Paige Bueckers (2025), and Azzi Fudd (2026).

In many ways, last season did not go to plan for the Fever. They lost six players to season-ending injuries, including Clark, and saw DeWanna Bonner depart under unceremonious circumstances in the middle of the campaign. And yet, despite all their health issues, they were five minutes away from a trip to the Finals. Had Kelsey Mitchell not left the winner-take-all Game 5 of the semifinals with rhabdomyolysis, they may have knocked out the Las Vegas Aces.

The Fever re-signed Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham and Lexie Hull to keep their core intact, added Monique Billings, Tyasha Harris and Myisha Hines-Allen in free agency and drafted Raven Johnson with the No. 10 pick. Heading into 2026, the Fever are once again projected to be one of the primary title contenders.

As we wait for them to take the court for the first time, here are some key takeaways from media day.

Clark: 'I'm the best transition player in the league'

Clark has never been short of confidence, and on Wednesday she called herself the "best transition player in the league."

Here's the full comment, which came amid a discussion about finding the balance between her on-ball and off-ball usage:

"I think I'm the best transition player in the league," Clark said. "That's where I thrive. Everybody knows that's my game. So, getting the ball off a rebound in transition, that's probably when I'm going to be a primary ball handler more than anything."

Clark's comment has created plenty of buzz, but it's accurate. When she grabs a rebound and takes off the other way, the opposing defense is immediately in panic mode. No one in the league can match her threat as both a playmaker and shooter, or her combination of volume and efficiency.

As a rookie, Clark averaged a league-leading 7.3 transition possessions plus assists per game and generated 1.290 points per possession plus assists. Last season, even though she was never 100% healthy, Clark again led the league in transition possessions plus assists per game (6.5), and generated 1.365 points per possession plus assists.

> Caitlin Clark transition passing

(shoutout Kelsey) pic.twitter.com/HmMwvZoS6n

— WNBA Clips & Highlights (@WNBAPlayerWatch) August 19, 2024

A more experienced and fully healthy Clark should be even better on the break this season, which is bad news for the rest of the league.

Clark, Johnson haven't spoken about Final Four moment

During Iowa's upset win over South Carolina in the 2023 Final Four, Clark went viral for dismissively waving off Raven Johnson instead of guarding her when the then-Gamecocks point guard had the ball at the top of the key. Johnson, who got revenge on Clark and the Hawkeyes during the 2024 NCAA national championship game, has admitted that she struggled to deal with that moment.

"I was all over the internet," Johnson said on the "I Am Next" podcast last month. "That's one reason I hate the internet now, because of that situation. I got bashed. I got bullied. I got called all these things that I wasn't -- aka, like a monkey. … It was just things like that, and I just thought I wanted to quit basketball at that time. I wanted to go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself."

One question for every WNBA team: Caitlin Clark's health, Azzi Fudd's fit, Angel Reese's impact and more

Jack Maloney

Clark and Johnson are now teammates after the Fever selected Johnson with the 10th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, and Johnson said Wednesday that Clark has been a big resource to her early in training camp.

"It's fun to learn from the vets here, they definitely make sure I get the plays," Johnson said. "Yesterday they were just throwing plays at me and I'm like, 'Oh gosh, jeez, they run a lot of plays.' But Caitlin Clark, she was helping me through all the hard times, she was helping me... I asked her probably like a thousand questions yesterday."

However, the Final Four moment has not been broached, and Johnson isn't interested in looking back.

"No, we haven't [discussed the incident]," Johnson said. "I think that's in the past, honestly. We're teammates now and we have one goal, that's to win a championship."

Fever plan to ease Clark's burden

Clark was limited to 13 games last season due to an array of lower-body injuries, and the Fever are already putting measures in place to try to ensure she stays healthy this summer.

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