Basketball legend Lisa Leslie praises Caitlin Clark, effect she's had on WNBA

WNBA fable Lisa Leslie praised Caitlin Clark’s interaction connected the league arsenic the sharpshooter readies for her 2nd play with the Indiana Fever.

The erstwhile Los Angeles Sparks superstar talked to Sports Illustrated astir Clark and the chances of the Fever winning the WNBA title acknowledgment to a caller caput manager and seasoned pieces the enactment added successful the offseason.

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Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark, #22, questions an authoritative connected Sunday, May 4, 2025 during a preseason crippled betwixt the Indiana Fever and the Brazil nationalist squad astatine Carver-Hawkeye Arena successful Iowa City. (IMAGN)

"Let maine conscionable say, Caitlin Clark has had an astonishing interaction connected the WNBA," Leslie told the outlet. "Her quality to travel retired and play, particularly aft her assemblage season. And past to travel into the WNBA and conscionable truly person the effect that she did, it was truly outstanding. I was truthful arrogant of Caitlin."

Leslie said that, connected paper, the Fever’s roster "looks amazing." Indiana added Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and DeWanna Bonner to the roster and re-hired Stephanie White arsenic their caller caput coach.

The Basketball Hall of Famer said with the buildup of the roster and the heightened expectations, determination besides comes added pressure.

"So erstwhile you speech astir Caitlin successful her sophomore year, she's much seasoned, she has had clip to rest. She's had clip to truly regroup and spot precisely wherever she wants to go," Leslie said. "Obviously, (the Fever) person a ton of caller players, a caller coach. And that besides builds a batch of pressure. It is truthful hard to win. It's not casual to triumph the archetypal twelvemonth that you get a caller coach, caller teammates, and you're trying to physique this chemistry. I don't privation to enactment excessively overmuch pressure. I deliberation the Indiana Fever, arsenic acold arsenic connected paper, looks amazing. Now they've got to enactment it each together.

CAITLIN CLARK, FEVER DEMOLISH TEAM BRAZIL IN WNBA PRESEASON GAME

Lisa Leslie, erstwhile American hoops player, attends the Women's Gold Medal crippled betwixt Team France and Team USA connected time sixteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 astatine Bercy Arena connected Aug. 11, 2024 successful Paris. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)

"And they tin possibly. I'm not saying they can't. The All-Star Game is determination successful Indiana. Everything is laid out. Caitlin has had clip to truly process what the WNBA looks like, what it feels like. And it's going to beryllium exciting, truthful I'm definite fans volition tune in. Everything's already sold out. And immoderate teams, erstwhile Caitlin comes to town, they've already had to get into larger arenas. So each of those things astir the Caitlin Clark effect are true."

Clark did not marque the U.S. women’s nationalist hoops squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, it appeared to beryllium a blessing successful disguise arsenic she appeared to beryllium much successful sync with her Fever teammates aft the Olympics interruption than she was astatine the opening of the regular season.

Indiana made the playoffs successful 2024 for the archetypal clip since 2016, erstwhile White was inactive the caput coach. The Fever finished 20-20 successful 2024 and person brought backmost cardinal players similar Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Natasha Howard and Lexie Hull.

Indiana Fever defender Caitlin Clark, left, gives autographs aft an accumulation women's hoops crippled against Brazil connected Sunday, May 4, 2025 successful Iowa City, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

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The Fever’s 2025 play begins connected May 17 against the Chicago Sky.

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