Can the Dream slow down Caitlin Clark and the Fever?
The Atlanta Dream have lost seven straight preseason and regular season games against the Indiana Fever and will face the Fever in back-to-back games this week. Can they upset the WNBA’s most popular team in Indiana on Tuesday night or in Atlanta on Thursday?
Caitlin Clark in the Spotlight
Clark and the Indiana Fever have been front and center in the sports landscape since Clark was drafted with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. As the WNBA has grown in popularity and coverage over the last few years, the Fever have benefited from the increased attention, as evidenced by the announcement that the Fever would feature in 41 national television games during the 2025 regular season.
The first Fever game of the regular season took place on Saturday against a Chicago Sky team starting two additional 2024 first-round picks in Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. While the Fever handily won in a 35-point victory, much of the coverage after the game focused on a flagrant foul called on Caitlin Clark against Angel Reese that was followed by technical fouls on former first-overall pick Aliyah Boston and Reese. Clark downplayed the incident in her post-game press conference, but will continue to be the focus of media attention as the Fever attempt to improve upon last season’s first-round playoff exit.
What surveyed WNBA GMs said about Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever
Shortly before opening day, the WNBA released the results of the 2025 WNBA GM Survey; Caitlin Clark and her Indiana Fever were voted at the top of various categories. Clark finished in the top three vote-getters in the following categories:
- Who will win 2025 Kia WNBA MVP?
- If you were starting a franchise today and could sign any player in the WNBA, who would it be?
- Which player forces opposing coaches to make the most adjustments?
- Who is the best point guard in the WNBA?
- Which player has the best basketball IQ?
The Indiana Fever finished in the top three in the following categories:
- Which team will win the 2025 WNBA Finals?
- Which team made the best overall moves this offseason? (via free agency, trades and Draft)
- Which team will be most improved in 2025?
- Which team will be the most fun to watch?
- Which team has the most promising young core?
The respect for Clark and the Fever shown by rival GMs demonstrates the improvements they made in the offseason, adding veterans DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham, Natasha Howard, and Sydney Colson, alongside the expected growth for returning Fever players like Clark, Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell.
Questions for the Atlanta Dream
The Dream entered their first game against the Washington Mystics as eight-point favorites and fell by a score of 94-90. Washington overcame a double-digit second-quarter deficit to upset Atlanta despite having several players unavailable due to injury. The Mystics were expected to struggle opening the season with a first-year head coach and starting two rookies (Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron), but have started 2-0 after upsetting Atlanta and defeating the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.
After the unexpected season-opening loss for the Dream, here are some things to look for in Atlanta’s next two games against Indiana:
- Who will cover Caitlin Clark? With Atlanta’s best defender Jordin Canada unavailable due to injury, it may be up to All-Stars Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray to pressure Clark on the perimeter, along with new addition Shatori Walker-Kimbrough.
- Does rookie Te-Hina Paopao start for the Dream again? The guard out of South Carolina started in her regular season debut and played 25 minutes. While she was not as effective offensively as she had been in the preseason, scoring just seven points, Paopao was trusted with bringing the ball up and had the best +/- rating for the entire team while shooting 50% from the floor on six shots.
- Will Atlanta’s new frontcourt be able to control the paint against Indiana? The additions of Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones were expected to bolster Atlanta’s presence in the frontcourt, but Washington was able to outscore Atlanta 36-34 in the paint. While Atlanta outrebounded Washington by eleven, Washington managed to shoot over 50% for the game.
- Will the Dream continue to shoot three-pointers at the same rates as they implement new head coach Karl Smesko’s offense prioritizing high-efficiency shots? Atlanta shot 12-for-36 (33%) from three-point range against Washington, setting a franchise record for three-point attempts in Smesko’s first regular season game.
The back-to-back games against the Indiana Fever will reveal more information about Atlanta’s offensive and defensive potential as they attempt to slow down the high-powered Fever offense.
Will Atlanta be able to slow down Caitlin Clark and company? Will the team’s new additions of Brittney Griner, Brionna Jones, Te-Hina Paopao, and Shatori Walker-Kimbrough propel Atlanta to their first win of the season? Let us know in the comments!