Fever's Clark to stay fresh by handling ball less

INDIANAPOLIS -- Caitlin Clark had a demand as she wrapped up her Media Day session on Wednesday inside Gainbridge Arena. The Indiana Fever star ordered the gaggle of media to crowd together so she could take a photo of them.

"You guys always take photos of me, so go over there and act like you like each other," Clark said, waving her hands to move the crowd similar to her directing an offense on the court.

The two-time WNBA All-Star is clearly used to running the show, but she's prepared to give up a bit of control heading into the 2026 season by playing off the ball for stretches in order to give her a bit of rest.

The team has already talked about monitoring her usage in training camp after a litany of injuries limited Clark to just 13 games in 2025.

There's another thought, though -- keeping her energized during games.

The 2024 Rookie of the Year has been the primary ballhandler on her teams well before college. Having the ball in her hands has been a no-brainer considering she set the NCAA all-time career scoring record and finished No. 3 in career assists. Then Clark led the WNBA in assists and 3-point field goals as a rookie.

"It is exhausting, bringing the ball up 94 feet versus pressure every single time," Clark said. "So, we certainly need to find somebody that can handle the ball a little bit and give me a little bit of a break."

The Fever have options. Three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell, who might be the fastest guard in the league, has done so before, and three-time All-Star Aliyah Boston initiated offense for the team at times in 2025 as Indiana was ravaged by injuries. The organization drafted South Carolina point guard Raven Johnson with the No. 10 overall pick, and coach Stephanie White thinks Johnson could help in that role, too.

"She can alleviate some pressure with Caitlin having to bring the ball [up]," White said of Johnson. "Look at the way the teams play her, 94 feet all the time. Again, how do we find ways to rest her on the floor? It's having somebody else bring the ball up, initiate offense, and then get Caitlin into action, in the second or third action, or the second or third side."

Johnson specifically mentioned it Wednesday as being part of her role. It's something she's used to, while also trying to be a sponge in these early days of training camp.

"Caitlin Clark was helping me through all the hard times," Johnson said. "I asked her probably like a thousand questions yesterday."

Clark isn't trying to give up all control, but she is taking fewer reps early in training camp drills against her natural instinct. Learning how to be effective without the ball and seeing how the offense runs when she gets the ball after initial movements is new for Clark, but it won't be a complete change.

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

"So, I think there's a lot of different things that can give us a lot of different looks and just make us harder to guard."