📰 NEWS FLASH: Caitlin Clark’s generosity toward Natasha Howard fuels a firestorm over the Fever’s future and who truly fits next to her ⚡.BT

When Natasha Howard’s name suddenly began trending next to Caitlin Clark’s, Indiana Fever fans felt that familiar jolt of panic — the kind only trauma from the 2024 season can trigger. For many, even seeing Howard’s name is enough to reopen emotional wounds. The Fever’s failed frontcourt experiment didn’t just struggle; it cracked the foundation of an offense built around the most gifted passer in WNBA history.

So when headlines surfaced claiming “Caitlin Clark helped Natasha Howard”, fans braced for disaster — a potential sign the organization might be preparing to run it back. But the truth behind that viral claim is far more nuanced, and honestly, far more revealing about where the Fever stand heading into the most important offseason of Clark’s career.

Let’s start with what actually happened.

Howard recently visited a high school basketball team in Mississippi and surprised players with Caitlin Clark’s signature Kobe 5 Proto sneakers — a video that went instantly viral. And fans immediately asked: Does this mean Howard is coming back?
But according to reporting from Mara.com, the sneakers came from Clark’s brand partnership, not Howard’s personal bank account. It was a charitable collaboration, not a roster signal.

Still, the moment re-lit a fire under a topic Fever fans have been wrestling with for months:
Should Natasha Howard return? Or was the 2024 fit beyond repair?

Let’s be brutally honest: the numbers tell the truth the front office refuses to say aloud.
Howard averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds — respectable on paper — but spacing collapsed whenever she stepped on the floor. She shot 18% from three, a catastrophic problem next to a generational shooter like Clark and a dominant interior scorer like Aaliyah Boston.

Defenses simply left Howard alone, double-teamed Clark off every pick-and-roll, and packed the paint against Boston because there was zero punishment waiting from the four-spot. Indiana’s offense suffocated — and the tape makes the suffering extremely plain.

But the shooting wasn’t even the biggest issue.
Howard repeatedly attempted to create her own offense, brought the ball up the floor in transition instead of giving it to Clark, and hunted isolations that stalled the entire system. For a player signed to complement Clark, she often ended up competing with her touches.

And all of this came after Howard made comments about wanting to win MVP.
Fans now look back at those words as a neon warning sign the Fever completely ignored.

In her exit interview, Howard didn’t sound like someone eager to return. She said she needed time to think. She said she had no direction yet for free agency. And frankly — that made sense. She looked as frustrated as fans felt.

Because here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Both the Fever and Howard would be better off going their separate ways.
But neither wants to be the first to say it.

The Fever’s front office had an entire offseason to build a roster around Caitlin Clark — a generational passer, the most accomplished college player ever, and a gravitational offensive engine. They knew exactly what her system demanded: shooters, spacing, finishing, rim protection.

Instead, they built a frontcourt where Boston and Howard frequently clogged the same space, compressing the floor and forcing Clark to attempt miracles just to generate a clean look. And while Howard’s durability — playing nearly every game at age 33 — was genuinely impressive, durability without fit is just minutes without meaning.

The Fever needed someone who made Clark and Boston better.
They got someone who made their jobs harder.

That’s why the name fans keep circling — and the one the Fever should be losing sleep over — is Azurá Stevens.
A 6’6 stretch-forward from the Sparks who can shoot, defend, switch, and space the floor. Stevens is the prototype modern four for a Clark-led system. The kind of player who turns a generational passer into an unstoppable offensive machine.

But getting Stevens would require boldness — something this front office hasn’t shown yet.

And that’s exactly the kind of decision Indiana must make right now.
Because Clark is fully healthy, entering year two with anger, motivation, and a deeper understanding of the WNBA’s physicality. This is the moment to go all-in.

You don’t waste a season of her prime on poor fit.
You don’t run back a failed experiment out of comfort.
You don’t build for “respectability.”
You build for championships.

Howard, meanwhile, has a beautiful next chapter waiting — her jersey being retired at Florida State, perhaps joining an expansion team like Toronto, or sliding onto a contender needing veteran depth. Her career still has meaning, still has opportunity. It just doesn’t have to be in Indiana.

Because fit matters. Chemistry matters. Spacing matters.
Championship teams aren’t just built from talent — they’re built from synergy.

And the synergy between Clark and Howard never existed.

So when you see headlines suggesting Clark “paid Howard’s debts” or that the two are reconnecting, remember the truth:
A charitable February moment does not justify a March roster mistake.
Good teammates don’t always make good fits.
And repeating the 2024 lineup would be nothing short of basketball malpractice.

The Fever have to choose:
Be competitive? Or be champions?
Those two goals are not the same — and only one honors the prime of Caitlin Clark.

Indiana must move on.
Natasha Howard must move on.
And both sides will be better for it.