CAITLIN CLARK = THE SIMPLEST FREE AGENCY SELLING POINT EVER
Imagine for an instant that you are the Indiana Fever’s new General Manager Amber Cox. You just inherited one of the most difficult positions (if not the most difficult altogether) on the business side of basketball. You and your primary operations partner, fellow newcomer Stephanie White, represent the turning of a new leaf behind the scenes of this Indiana Fever franchise. The pair has an undeniably impressive track record and should instill a new sense of energy to the organization, and that will bode well when it comes to attracting potential targets in the impending free agency period of the WNBA offseason.
The Fever will have no shortage of options available on the open market, with a number of highly talented names available at positions of chief need (versatile forwards and steady-handed guards). With that in mind, Cox and her companions will need to craft the perfect proposals for anyone they intend to pursue.
Thankfully, the Fever are fresh off of their first playoff appearance since 2016. Ticket sales skyrocketed as Indy emerged as one of the best up-and-coming teams in the league. Streaming viewership numbers were historical. For the first time since the retirement of the iconic Tameka Catchings, which was coincidentally in that same season as the Fever’s last trip to the playoffs, this team took the WNBA by storm and put everyone on notice.
You could go on and on for days about all of the reasons why there is no greater present free agent destination than Indiana. But why bother wasting any time when there are literally only 2 words that you need to say to seal the interest of any free agents in the market for greener pastures?
Caitlin Clark.
In case you were not yet informed, Caitlin Clark was the catalyst of this turnaround. From the moment that the Fever were awarded the #1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, the pendulum of momentum started to shift in their favor. And it continued to shift in their favor. And it continued to shift in their favor. And….. well, you get the point.
Clark turned the city of Indianapolis, the capital of the basketball capital of the world Indiana, into a mecca for hoops. People from all over the world were paying their hard-earned money to travel thousands of miles just to watch this team, and most notably this woman, go to battle against the highest level of competition in women’s basketball. She has ignited a major uptick in the income potential of her colleagues, all the while maintaining a respectful, humble demeanor as she continues to inspire endless young women across the globe to pursue their dreams relentlessly.
This is the most polarizing player in the history of the WNBA, and anyone lucky enough to play alongside her as she continues to sprout right before our eyes should buy some lottery tickets. It is highly difficult to envision any offseason scenario in which the Indiana Fever do not come away as one of the greatest (if not THE greatest) winners in the WNBA.