Indiana

ESPN analyst slammed for saying Fever is ‘more dangerous’ without Caitlin Clark amid injury absence

Published

1 year ago

July 5, 2025

ESPN analyst slammed for saying Fever is ‘more dangerous’ without Caitlin Clark amid injury absence

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Amid Caitlin Clark’s extended injury absence from the Indiana Fever, at least one media pundit has suggested the team is better without the superstar.

ESPN’s Carolyn Peck said on the network on Thursday that Indiana is a “more dangerous” team without Clark on the floor.

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Carolyn Peck speaks before the game between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty during Game One of the 2024 WNBA Finals on October 10, 2024 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images)

“I think that Indiana is even more dangerous when Caitlin Clark doesn’t play, because she’s a ball-dominant guard,” she said. “The ball’s in her hands a lot, so you know what you need to try to take away. But when you look at Indiana now, they’ve got so many weapons.” 

Peck gave specific praise to Fever players Kelsey Mitchell, Aari McDonald and Aliyah Boston. Peck did not appear to give praise to Fever stars Sophie Cunningham or Lexie Hull.

“When you have a point guard like Kelsey Mitchell, and Aari McDonald making plays on the perimeter, and a post like Aliyah Boston, I’m gonna tell you: Indiana, they are a threat. And it’s specifically on the defensive end,” Peck said.

Peck’s comments went viral on social media, inciting the wrath of Clark’s loyal supporters.

Barstool founder Dave Portnoy reposted the clip of Peck’s comments on X, writing, “I knew this was gonna happen.”

The popular sports commentary X account “BricksCenter” also shared the clip, writing, “Their hatred toward CC needs to be studied.”

Hundreds of smaller accounts made their criticisms of Peck’s analysis known.

WNBA ROOKIE PAIGE BUECKERS SAYS MEDIA ‘TRIES TO ISOLATE’ IN RESPONSE TO PAST COMMENTS ABOUT BLACK WOMEN

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) plays against the Dallas Wings in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

“ESPN would be a lot more ‘dangerous’ without Carolyn Peck,” one user wrote.

Another user wrote, “All of Peck’s takes on CC last year ended being wrong and I don’t expect anything different from this season.”

One user even went so far as to say, “ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck is a hater and a fool.”

Peck was the women’s basketball head coach at Purdue when current Fever head coach Stephanie White was a player there. Together, they won the NCAA title in 1999.

Clark has missed the team’s last four games with a groin injury and will miss a fifth on Saturday against the LA Sparks. She previously missed five games with a quad injury.

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From left, Indiana Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell (0), guard Lexie Hull, guard Sophie Cunningham and forward Aliyah Boston (7) huddle during the second half of a WNBA basketball game against the Seattle Storm, Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

With Clark, Indiana is 5–4, averaging an 85.0 offensive rating.

Without Clark, the team is 5–4 with an average 80.2 offensive rating.

In games she has played, Clark is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists and 5.9 turnovers.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

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Indiana

Fever take down Aces 84-68, led by Kelsey Mitchell’s 27 points

Published

9 hours ago

July 5, 2026

Press Room

Fever take down Aces 84-68, led by Kelsey Mitchell’s 27 points

(WISH) — Coming off a week’s rest, the Indiana Fever traveled to Las Vegas and beat the defending champion Aces, 84-68. The Aces’ 68 points scored marked the fewest points Indiana has allowed in a game this season.

On Sunday, the Fever were without Caitlin Clark for the second straight game. In her absence, center Aliyah Boston and point guard Kelsey Mitchell powered the offense to secure Indiana’s second straight win.

Boston recorded her sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. She also knocked down three triples, matching a season high last set on June 4 against the Atlanta Dream.

Although Mitchell shot 39 percent from the field, the ninth-year Fever guard posted a game-high 27 points and hit three triples.

As a team, Indiana shot 43 percent from the floor and 39 percent from three. The Fever also handed out 18 assists, compared to the Aces’ 14.

Indiana controlled the glass as well, outrebounding the Aces 39-30, and forced 13 Las Vegas turnovers compared to the Fever’s 7. Sunday’s win also marked the Fever’s first-ever win in Las Vegas after 11 previous losses.

With the win, Indiana improves to 12-8. Sunday’s matchup was the first of four straight road games before the Fever return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to face the Golden State Valkyries on July 15.

Indiana is back on the road Wednesday, July 8, against the Los Angeles Sparks at 10 p.m. ET.

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Indiana

Fever vs. Aces Prediction, Odds, Best WNBA Prop Bet for Sunday, July 5

Published

19 hours ago

July 5, 2026

Press Room

Fever vs. Aces Prediction, Odds, Best WNBA Prop Bet for Sunday, July 5

Two WNBA Finals contenders are set to square off on Sunday night in Las Vegas, but both teams are down their best player.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (back) and Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (right leg) have been ruled out for this game, taking some of the shine away from this matchup.

Still, there are a ton of great players to watch – including guard Kelsey Mitchell and Jackie Young – and oddsmakers are expecting a close game, as the Aces are favored by just 3.5 points at home.

Las Vegas is coming off an overtime win against the Chicago Sky, but it’s just 1-1 since Wilson went down with this leg injury. Meanwhile, the Fever are 2-0 without Clark this season, beating the Los Angeles Sparks by 27 points without her on June 27.

These are the No. 1 (Las Vegas) and No. 2 (Indiana) offenses in the league, so we should still see some fireworks on that end of the floor.

After a long layoff, the Fever are looking to remain hot as they set their sights on the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Let’s check out the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for Fever vs. Aces in a standalone game on Sunday night.

Fever vs. Aces Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Fever +3.5 (-112)
Aces -3.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Total

181.5 (Over -115/Under -105)

Fever vs. Aces How to Watch

Date: Sunday, July 5
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: T-Mobile Arena
How to Watch (TV): ESPN, Disney+
Fever record: 11-8
Aces record: 15-5

Fever vs. Aces Injury Reports

Fever Injury Report

Aces Injury Report

Janiah Barker – out
Dana Evans – out
A’ja Wilson – out

Fever vs. Aces Best WNBA Prop Bets

Fever Best WNBA Prop Bet

Kelsey Mitchell OVER 23.5 Points (-116)

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell is one of the best scorers in the WNBA, and she had a massive 2025 season with Clark (groin) missing most of the campaign.

Now, she’ll handle the No. 1 duties on Sunday against an Aces team that is just eighth in the league in defensive rating and ninth in opponent points per game.

Mitchell has 22 or more points in five of her last six games, including a 26-point showing on June 27 with Clark out of the lineup. She had 21 points in the only other game Clark has missed in 2026, and Mitchell is averaging 21.6 points per game overall.

She should handle a few more touches on Sunday, and the star guard has been ultra-efficient this season, knocking down 49.5 percent of her shots from the floor and 40.2 percent of her 3-pointers.

I’m buying her in this matchup, especially since the Aces won’t have Wilson protecting the rim.

Fever vs. Aces Prediction and Pick

Earlier today, I shared in my WNBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I think the Fever can cover on the road, even with Clark sidelined:

The Aces are 1-1 since Wilson went down, losing in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game to the New York Liberty before beating the Chicago Sky in overtime on Friday.

The fact that the Aces needed overtime to beat the Sky is a little concerning since Chicago ranks 10th in the league in net rating, 11th in offensive rating and 12th in defensive rating so far this season. The Las Vegas defense (eighth in defensive rating) is clearly worse without Wilson on the floor, which is a concern against a high-octane Fever attack.

Indiana is 2-0 this season with Clark out of the lineup, and star guard Kelsey Mitchell is more than capable of carrying this team to a win on Sunday night. While I’m not going to bet on an upset, I do think there is value in taking the Fever to cover as road underdogs.

Las Vegas is just 4-5 against the spread at home in the 2026 season, and while these are the two-best offenses in the league, losing Wilson is a huge downgrade for the Aces, as she’s averaging over 25 points per game.

I wouldn’t be shocked if the Fever are able to hang around in this game, especially since they’ve fared pretty well without Clark over the last two seasons. After all, Indy made the WNBA semifinals in the 2025 season with the star guard playing just 13 games.

Pick: Fever +3.5 (-112 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Find Peter Dewey’s WNBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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