When Lexie Hull found out the entire Indiana Fever roster would be traveling on the road for the WNBA playoffs, her first thought was wondering where all of her teammates would sit.
With 10 active and six injured players making the trip to Atlanta, the bench would get a little crowded. But with the way the Fever react to and celebrate each play, standing room only might be enough. This is the loudest and liveliest cheering section in the postseason.
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“They bring energy, they bring light, they’re vocal leaders, all of them,” Hull said.
The ringleader is Caitlin Clark, who has had to spend more time on the sideline than any other Indiana player in 2025. Limited to 13 games due to a series of groin and other lower body injuries, Clark’s primary contribution has been as a vocal, compassionate teammate, still motivating the rest of the Fever.
“Being there for my teammates, being a voice for them, because that’s what I am when I’m playing, so you gotta still be that consistent voice when you’re sitting on the bench,” Clark said earlier in the season. “That’s been my focus, and I think that can kind of distract you from not actually playing when you just focus on your teammates and how I can serve them and help them.”
The sophomore phenom has jokingly been referred to online as “Coach Clark” — and she certainly looked the part in a road game when she wore a white top and black leather pants, blending in seamlessly with the coaching staff’s white quarter zips and black joggers. But she tries to function more as an intermediary. The players see the game differently on the sideline, sharing a perspective that players on the court might be missing.
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Along with Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson on the bench, there are three point guards who can talk to the team in huddles, share a few words of wisdom during dead balls or substitutions, or even yell during the action. Expect more of that Thursday night at the Atlanta Dream in a decisive Game 3, when the Fever will either be eliminated or move on to the semifinals.
True to form, Clark is consistently imploring her teammates to be more aggressive hunting their own offense. A mic’d-up segment from the All-Star Game showed Clark bemoaning to the Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu that she would have been launching jumpers from half-court had she been healthy, and her attitude during games that actually matter is just as bold.
“Caitlin certainly has a great basketball IQ,” Fever coach Stephanie White said. “Her ability to communicate some of the things that she’s seeing on the floor, offensively, defensive coverages, whatever it might be. Where some open opportunities are, encouraging her teammates to not pass up shots because I feel like sometimes we do.”
As animated as she can be on the court, Clark has arguably gone to another level on the bench. Her teammates had to restrain her from getting T’d up at the end of a game in Los Angeles, a continuation of the deescalation crew that formed in 2024 to prevent Clark from being suspended for technical foul accumulation.
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Clark went on the court and signaled a timeout for Minnesota after a big Fever run in a game against the Lynx. Opposing players regularly talk with Clark when they’re close to the Indiana bench. She often signals her thoughts on the officiating, and no one enjoys gesturing a travel more.
Viewers have noticed Clark’s penchant for snacking on the bench as well, often pulling treats out of the pockets of her hoodies.
“She eats anything and everything,” said guard Sophie Cunningham, who joined Clark on the bench when she sustained her season-ending leg injury Aug. 17. “We all do, we’re all a bunch of snackers.”
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But nothing distracts Clark from the task at hand, which is to be present for her team. That means hyping them up through good times and bad, pouring confidence into them, and adding whatever insight she can from her perch.
One of the toughest challenges of the 2025 season has been spending so much time away from their full team. Although Clark has traveled to almost every road game, her injured teammates have had to remain in Indiana for long stretches throughout their rehab. Their presence, and absence, is always felt.
At the most critical time of the season, Clark tries to make her presence as big as possible.
“Having our injured players with us … everybody communicating together, continuing to hold one another accountable,” White said. “Having (Clark) engaged in those huddles and communicating what she sees has been really important.”
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Indiana Fever, WNBA
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