Caitlin Clark reflects on being in MVP conversation: “It’s definitely cool”

Caitlin Clark has been in great form since the Olympic break, averaging a league-best 24.3 points on 43.6% shooting and 8.9 assists per game. Her play has been a big factor in the Fever's rise to sixth place and puts her in position to receive MVP voting.

Prior to the Indiana Fever's regular season finale, Clark was asked how it felt to know that members of the media covering the WNBA considered her to be one of the top five candidates for the MVP award (members submit five candidates for MVP in order of 1st to 5th place). While A'ja Wilson is considered the front-runner, Clark has appeared on the WNBA First Team poll multiple times, including: ESPN'and Athletics.

“It's definitely great, especially this year, because we started off well and then it just took off,” Clark told reporters. By Chloe Peterson of Indy Star Sports“And now, here we are, Game 40, and it's a world of difference from when I started. I'm really proud of myself for that. I learned a lot. I had very little practice time, very little offseason, no time to do what I wanted to do, and I had to learn new strategies, new teammates, new coaches.”

The Fever have a 9-4 record since the Olympic break and are the third-best team in the league, and Clark attributes the mid-season turnaround to his own playing ability and the team's increased cohesion.

“Once I found my rhythm, my teammates let me be myself, and that led to success,” she said.

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding Caitlin Clark's popularity, her Rookie of the Year race and her MVP race, but Clark said she's been able to stay focused on the game itself.

“One of the biggest things for me is just to keep it basketball and just have fun and have fun and play free,” Clark said. “That's what I'm at my best, but at the same time, you can't get hung up on that. It's all about how you perform on the court. So it's really an honor to have people who have been in WNBA basketball for so long think of me that way, but at the same time, I feel like I still have room to improve.”

The Fever started the season 1-8, but Clark said he never lost belief they could turn things around.

“Our energy never let up,” Clark said. “We went out there and got better and we knew the tide would turn in our favor, and it did.”

Regardless of what happens in the first round of the playoffs, this season will be largely considered a success for the Fever, who went from a No. 10 seed in 2023 to a No. 6 seed in 2024. Clark has exceeded expectations, Aaliyah Boston has improved across the board and Kelsey Mitchell is having the best year of her career. The Fever will face either the Connecticut Sun or Indiana Fever in the first round in a best-of-three series that begins Sunday.

“Obviously, we have big goals in the playoffs,” Clark said. “I feel like we still have a lot to accomplish and I think we can exceed the expectations people have of us.”