From Shaking Her Head With $1 Million To Undefeated Star: Caitlin Clark Does What No One Dare to Think. INDIANA’s New Coach Gives Fans a Different Look/hi
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has arrived at 2025 WNBA training camp with added strength and a new focus after taking a break from basketball this offseason
After a busy 2024 where she went from the NCAA Championship game to WNBA training camp in a matter of weeks, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark chose to take the winter off.
The decision could have cost her around $1 million. Clark, who only makes around $75,000 a year on her WNBA rookie salary, turned down an equity stake in Unrivaled as part of a deal requiring her to play in the upstart 3 vs. 3 league.
Her new coach, Stephanie White, is presiding over her first training camp in charge of the Fever since her two-year stint with the team in 2015 and 2016. Speaking to ESPN, she commended Clark’s ability to seamlessly transfer from college to the professional ranks last season.
“I admire the college players that have to come from playing a 40-plus-game college season to them having to come straight into the W,” White admitted.
“It’s physically grueling. It’s mentally taxing, let alone what Caitlin’s had to deal with. I think it was great for her to get a break. I think it was great for her body, for her mind, her soul, probably.”
Clark seemed to enjoy having the offseason off. “It was nice to get away from everything and just enjoy my life as a normal person,” she said of her offseason.
Clark spent the most recent part of the WNBA offseason attending Indiana Pacers playoff games(Image: Getty Images)
“Don’t get me wrong, I love basketball and having the spotlight and playing with my teammates, that’s one of the most fun things in the world. But at some point, we had a great year, and eventually getting away from that was really healthy for me.”
Clark made the most of her first WNBA season, nearly capturing the league’s Rookie of the Year award unanimously while finishing fourth in the MVP voting. She averaged 19.2 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting to go along with 5.7 rebounds and a league-best 8.4 assists per contest.
White noticed how her star player came back with added strength. “Being able to address getting in the weight room, getting stronger, being able to stay on balance, better time under tension, core stability, all of those things, and then to be able to get in the gym and really hone in on on some nuance of her game, that’s going to help her get to another level,” she added.
An improved Clark isn’t the only reason the Fever seem poised to improve upon their trip to the first round of the 2024 WNBA Playoffs a season ago.
The team added veterans DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham as part of an action-packed offseason that also saw star Kelsey Mitchell resign. “I think the vibes are really good,” Clark said of her squad.
