Caitlin Clark Q&A: Fever Star Talks WNBA Growth, NBA Playoffs

Caitlin Clark's highly anticipated return to the court is just days away. The Indiana Fever superstar last played in an WNBA game on July 15, 2025, before she was sidelined for the remainder of the season by a groin injury.

After winning Rookie of the Year in 2024, Clark was limited to just 13 games last season. Now, after a busy offseason, Clark is back as one of the faces of a league that's still growing, as evidenced by the landmark new CBA signed this spring.

Clark spent her time away from the floor practicing her photography and appearing on NBC's "Basketball Night in America." She also recently took home MVP honors at the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament for Team USA.

Ahead of her third WNBA season, Clark has also renewed her partnership with Xfinity to help bring more visibility to women's basketball and expand access for fans all over. Speaking on behalf of Xfinity, Clark caught up with Athlon Sports on Tuesday to discuss the partnership, as well as her return to the court, the ongoing NBA playoffs and more.

(Editor's note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.)

Kyle Wood: Caitlin, thank you so much for joining me today. Ahead of your third WNBA season, you have renewed your partnership with Xfinity to be a brand ambassador, further expanding your professional portfolio. Can you tell me about that partnership and how it’s keeping fans connected with the WNBA?

Caitlin Clark: Yeah, I'm super excited. I first started working with Xfinity in 2024. They had a commercial when I was at Iowa at the time. So now I'm super excited to be able to continue this for years to come. Obviously, you saw me do some of the NBC "Basketball Night in America" stuff, too, so that's kind of afforded me a lot of different opportunities and hopefully will down the line, too. And then as we move into the WNBA season with tipoff this Saturday just keeping fans connected to watch us, you can stream every single WNBA game on their platform. So, super excited for fans too, obviously, as we know, the demand for WNBA is as high as ever, so really just thankful that fans can watch us no matter where they are and whenever they want to.

KW: You have appeared on NBC’s "Basketball Night in America." What was that experience like? And has it opened your eyes to any media opportunities during your playing career or after?

CC: It was super cool. I was definitely a little bit nervous at first, because I just have never done something like that before, but super thankful that they allowed me the opportunity and invited me there. And obviously, Maria Taylor's the best at what she does and getting to be around Vince [Carter], Carmelo [Anthony] and all of them — obviously, some of the best players to ever play the game. Honestly, I think I learned a lot from them, just hearing them talk about the game of basketball.

And then to be in the Garden on Sunday night when LeBron [James] was playing the Knicks, I don't think there's ever been a basketball environment quite like that one. So it's certainly really fun. I got to do it a couple times, and hopefully I'll get to do it more down the line. I don’t know about how much media stuff I'll do, but if a certain opportunity sparks my interest you might see me do it.

KW: After a phenomenal rookie season, you’re limited to just 13 games as a sophomore due to injury. Health-wise, how are you feeling now and what is your mindset heading into Year 3 after spending so much time on the sidelines last season?

CC: I feel really good going into this year. Had three preseason games and then getting ready for tip-off this Saturday. So I think kind of just having a renewed perspective on the game. When you watch from the sidelines, it isn't always the most fun, but you learn a lot about yourself, you learn a lot about being a good leader, being a good teammate. But obviously more than anything, I'm just super excited to put the jersey back on and be able to run around out there and play with my teammates and expect the crowds this weekend to be really good and throughout the year, as well.

KW: It was a busy offseason around the WNBA with the ratification of a new CBA that promises higher salaries, not to mention the introduction of two new teams. What does this new deal say about the success of the league and its rise in popularity over the last few years?

CC: I think, as you've seen, the demand for the WNBA is as high as it’s ever been. That’s why we've had expansion. When I first got into the league, there were 12 teams; now we're up to 15. We were able to add, I think, almost 50-plus spots with this new CBA, you know, requiring 12 to a roster, you have the two developmental spots, plus the addition of two new teams. So, you know, as we know, the demand is crazy. Fans want to watch it, fans want to be in seats, so super excited.

Getting to travel to two new places and play the game, that's always fun for myself. Portland and Toronto will be really cool, getting to play there, and then both their fan bases will be great. So it's a really big year for our league. I think this is the 30th season, so I'm excited.

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KW: I understand that your partnership with Xfinity is about expanding access and reach for fans. Growing up, what was your experience following and watching basketball like? And how would you say things have changed since then?

CC: I think it's definitely changed a lot. I think it's a great thing about what Xfinity's doing, is they're gonna make it so much easier for fans to stay connected to, specifically the WNBA, but also so many other different sports. But obviously, as we know, the WNBA, the demand for that is as high as it's ever been. So, you can watch any game, anywhere. I think that's really important, as we try to get more and more fans watching — especially the fans that are trying to follow their college players that are coming into the league or just new fans that have turned on a game and want to continue to turn it on, they can continue to follow every single game of their favorite team throughout the season. So, I'm just excited for that.

Obviously, that wasn't really a thing when I was a really young kid growing up. Usually you had to go and watch your favorite team in person if you wanted to see them consistently. So, really excited for our fans to be able to stay connected to all their favorite players or favorite teams all throughout the year.

KW: Last season, the Indiana Pacers made that deep run in the NBA playoffs. Do you have an NBA Finals prediction for this year?

CC: For this year? Oh, boy. Well, you know, I thought the Spurs were gonna win it all. That was my pick. That's what I've been telling everybody, but I don't know, I might be rethinking after the Timberwolves stole Game 1. Obviously, OKC would be the easy pick. I'm sure everybody's saying that. But I think whoever comes out of the West will win it all. So I'm hoping for a Spurs-OKC Western Conference finals. I don't know who's gonna come out of the East … maybe the Knicks.

I was a little disappointed to see that the Celtics got upset. I was kind of pulling for them. There’s a former Hawkeye on the team (Luka Garza), who was one of my good friends. But more than anything, I just hope they're good series. That's what makes it so fun. And this is one of the best times of the year. There's an NBA playoff game on every single night. So, I'm always tuned in and watching.

KW: You and the Fever open the season on Saturday against the Dallas Wings, led by Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd. What are your thoughts on the matchup against the last two No. 1 picks since you were drafted?

CC: It's crazy. Actually, in that game, the last four No. 1 picks will be playing. So I don't know how many times that's ever happened. Obviously, with me and my teammate (Aliyah Boston), and then Azzi and Paige, so pretty cool dynamic, and I think it just speaks to the excitement of the players in our league. Obviously, the talent level that has been coming in, and I think it should be a really great game. We played in the preseason. Obviously that's completely different, but I expect our arena to be a really loud, fun environment. There's nothing really like a Saturday home game during the summer, so I expect a lot of loud fans, and so it should be a really great game, and I'm expecting a close one, too.