Fever Roundup: Caitlin Clark back in action as USA Basketball opens camp at Duke
Clark resumes formal basketball activity at USAB camp, joins Aliyah Boston, and continues her return from a mid-July injury. Plus updates on CBA talks, Project B, Howard and McDonald.
Caitlin Clark is returning to the basketball court, in a formal setting, today.
The Indiana Fever guard is one of 18 players committed to participate in USA Basketball National Team training camp that runs through the weekend at Duke University.
Why Duke? Kara Lawson was promoted to head coach of the national team, replacing Cheryl Reeve, and it’s where Lawson has coached since 2020.
Clark and center Aliyah Boston are the two members of the Fever who will be participating. Those two are part of the 10 players set to make their national team debut.
The other 16 players: Kahleah Copper, Chelsea Gray, Brittney Griner, Kelsey Plum, Jackie Young, Dearica Hamby, Brionna Jones, Lauren Betts, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Veronica Burton, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Rickea Jackson, Angel Reese, and JuJu Watkins.
Don’t read too much into who is not there. A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, and Breanna Stewart are three major players who will be missing. And Watkins, who is still in college at USC, will be present but not participate due to injury (ACL rehab).
For Clark, this is significant because she hasn’t been able to compete since suffering a right groin injury in Boston in mid-July, just before All-Star weekend.
At her exit interview, speaking with reporters for the first time since All-Stars in Indy, Clark said she planned to take about a week off right after the season and then get right back to it.
“I don’t really want to lose the stuff I’ve worked on and just trying to get my body back to full health. There’s some USA basketball stuff I need to get ready for and I need to be able to find some runs and some ways to play 5-on-5 just so I can get that feel back.
“But more than anything, I think my main focus is really just getting my body healthy and once we get back to 5-on-5, just being able to test my body and make sure I know it’s in a good spot where it’s going to be able to hold up with everything that we think we’ve corrected or we think we’ve worked on — to be able to know I’m in a really good spot there.”
It’s been a long five months to get Clark back on the court — to playing 1-on-1 and now 5-on-5. She will have familiarity with Boston on the court, along with Fever head coach Stephanie White by her side. White is serving as one of the court coaches, along with Natalie Nakase (Golden State) and Nate Tibbetts (Phoenix).
While some of her Fever teammates have pledged to play in other leagues such as Unrivaled and Project B (which begins next Nov.), Clark has focused on getting healthy, and then being able to have a productive offseason after only appearing in 13 games last season.
This should be a good physical and mental test for Clark, who hasn’t participated in formal basketball since mid-July, right before All-Star weekend in July. This will be good for her to work toward getting back in a game rhythm and flow, and leading a team. But it’s just one of many camps leading up to World Cup play.
“I think it’s important that you can become confident in your body again — and that’s for anybody that goes through injury,” Clark said. “That’s probably going to be my main focus is you know just feeling 100% again and then obviously you know having that confidence in my body too.”
From exit interviews, in October:
Extension and Continued Talks For New CBA
Negotiations continue between the league and the players association as both sides work toward a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
In the meantime, the current CBA has been extended for a second time. The practical benefit of that extension is clear: teams can maintain contact with their players, and players retain access to team facilities during the offseason.
There’s no shortage of issues on the table, but revenue sharing has risen to the top for the players. With league revenues climbing — especially with the new media rights deal — the union is pushing for a larger, more proportional share of that growth.
The league, for its part, has already committed significant resources the past two seasons with charter flights and increased hotel standards. Other priorities still in discussion include establishing baseline facility requirements, retirement benefits, maternity leave, roster size adjustments, expansion parameters, and more.
The WNBA issued this statement just before the calendar flipped to December.
“The WNBA and WNBPA have agreed to extend the current collective bargaining agreement through January 9, 2026, with either party having the option to terminate the extension with 48 hours’ advance notice. The WNBA and WNBPA are continuing to work toward a new agreement.”
Two Commit to Project B
Fever guards Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham have signed on with Project B, the new 5-on-5 league set to launch in 2026.
The venture is offering substantial contracts that include equity stakes, with competition built around a series of overseas tournaments. Project B is led by Geoff Prentice and Grady Burnett, two veteran tech executives.
Mitchell and Cunningham both recorded announcement videos for the league’s social media channels, signaling their early commitment as Project B begins to build its roster and visibility.
Mitchell: “I think it’s an unbelievable opportunity to really showcase who we are as athletes, at a high level, on an international stage. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world and I’m grateful that Project B looked at me as an athlete to want to take on this opportunity. So I’m excited and I can’t wait to get to work.
Cunningham: “I’m so thrilled for it. It is giving women’s basketball a platform that is much deserving, not only here in the United States but across the world. So come on this journey with us.”
Florida State Celebrates Natasha Howard
Fever forward Natasha Howard was honored back at Florida State on Nov. 16 with the retirement of her No. 33 jersey.
“Natasha Howard is one of the greatest to ever wear Garnet and Gold and I couldn’t be more proud,” FSU head coach Brooke Wyckoff said. “She gave everything she had to this program, and she’s continued to make us proud every step of the way. Seeing her succeed as a WNBA champion and All-Star only reinforces what we always knew; she’s one of the best to ever do it.”
“Aari McDonald Night” at Arizona
Meanwhile in Tuscan, the Wildcats held “Aari McDonald Night” on Nov. 21 as Arizona hosted Northern Arizona. The Fresno, Calif. native was voted an All-American and the Pac-12 Player of the Year in 2021. She was a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
McDonald was already inducted into the Ring of Honor in the rafters of McKale Center in Jan. 2022.
Spears Promoted
It was a memorable November for Fever executive Hillary Spears. She started the month out on a high note — getting married. And now going into another season, she’s been promoted to associate vice president of basketball operations.
She’s been with the organization since 2020, but her first opportunity was in 2013 as a basketball operations intern.
WNBA Holds Draft Lottery
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, a draft lottery was held on Nov. 23. And the Fever were not part of it.
The Dallas Wings have the top overall pick for the second consecutive season.
Dallas
Minnesota (via Chicago)
Seattle (via LA)
Washington
Chicago (via Connecticut)