Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has explained why she believes that when she is on the court she is not just a player, but also a coach

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark believes when she is on the court, she is not just a player but a coach.

The former Iowa guard, who enjoyed a stellar collegiate career, has become the face of the WNBA after just one season, with Clark having won the Rookie of the Year award and been named an All-Star during her first year with the Fever.

Drafted first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark and the Fever made the playoffs but were bounced from the postseason in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.

With the WNBA set to return later this Spring, Clark and the Fever, who hired Stephanie White as their new head coach for the 2025 season, are looking to the future.

And recently, the Indiana star explained what her mindset is going into a game, and how she believes she is an “extension” of her coach. “There’s always a game plan, there’s always a scouting report,” Clark said. “I think as a point guard (which is my position), my first goal when a game starts is to get my teammates involved.”

She added: “You don’t always want to come out firing right away. Sometimes you do, but I think getting your teammates involved, that’s going to make things a lot easier for myself.

“It’s going to open up the court more. It’s my role to kind of orchestrate the team on the court and kind of be the coach on the court in a way. You need to be the extension of your coach.”

White, who was announced as Christie Sides replacement last year back in November, is well aware of just what Clark is capable of on the court, with the new Fever coach lauding her new superstar earlier this year. “She’s incredibly humble,” White said in a Q&A with the Athletic.

“She understands the big picture. So she views it understanding her celebrity, No. 1. But No. 2, she’s a Midwest kid, a Midwest person and she is who she is. She tries to live her life in an authentic way. But she’s very much Taylor Swift 2.0.

So I think from my perspective, and from our staff and franchise, it’s how do we help her navigate all of this? How do we help her protect her peace? Because it can be a lot.

“How can we be a resource for her? It’s a different level now with social media and fan engagement. We want to be a resource and help protect her.

She’s an incredible kid. I call her a kid, but she’s obviously a young woman. An incredible talent. She’s an incredible human being. She works her tail off. There’s a reason she is who she is in terms of a player. She’s handled all of this with such grace and poise that most 23-year-olds wouldn’t be able to.