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Caitlin Clark has forced WNBA defenses to account for her the moment she crosses half court. Her extraordinary shooting range and ability to find teammates have defined her rise with the Indiana Fever.
Sophie Cunningham, however, believes another part of Clark’s game has quietly become just as dangerous. While discussing Clark’s development during the 2026 season, Cunningham pointed to the guard’s growing comfort from mid-range. It is a shot that Clark rarely needed to lean on during her record-setting college career, but it has given defenders another problem to solve at the professional level.
“And her mid-range game is elite,” Cunningham said Wednesday, “I think everyone has always known that, but you can really see it on display this year so far.”
Calling any part of a player’s game “elite” is significant. Cunningham sees Clark’s work every day, though, and has watched the former No. 1 overall pick expand her offensive arsenal from a much closer distance than most observers.
Caitlin Clark is finding a new way to punish defenses
Clark entered Thursday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces averaging 21.5 points, eight assists and four rebounds per game. She ranked third in the WNBA in scoring and second in assists, putting herself firmly in the MVP conversation. Those numbers reflect the skills that have always made Clark special. She can launch a 3-pointer several steps behind the line, attack the basket or deliver a pass that few other players would even attempt.
Her improved mid-range jumper gives opponents one more option to consider. According to Her Hoop Stats, Clark made 23 of her 65 mid-range attempts across her first two WNBA seasons. Before facing Las Vegas on Thursday, she had already connected on 21 of 54 attempts this season.
The efficiency is not dramatically different, but the increased volume shows that Clark is becoming more comfortable looking for the shot. That matters when opponents attempt to take away the areas where she has traditionally done the most damage. Defenders cannot simply chase Clark off the 3-point line or retreat toward the basket. If they leave space between those two areas, she is increasingly willing to stop and shoot.
MORE: Skip Bayless calls out Caitlin Clark after Fever collapse against Aces
Sophie Cunningham explains when Fever are at their best
Cunningham also stressed that Clark’s individual production is most dangerous when it is connected to Indiana’s overall ball movement.
“I think she’s just starting to get in rhythm,” Cunningham said. “I think our team overall is starting to get in rhythm and feeding off each other pretty well, especially when we share the ball. For her in particular, when she’s moving that ball and getting her assists, I think that’s when we’re at our best.”
Clark’s eight assists per game support Cunningham’s point. Indiana is difficult to defend when Clark balances her scoring instincts with her ability to create open shots for Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Cunningham and the rest of the Fever roster. That balance also prevents defenses from focusing all of their attention on stopping Clark’s shot. Every extra defender sent in her direction potentially creates an opening somewhere else.
Clark entered the league with one of the most recognizable offensive skill sets in women’s basketball. She has not remained satisfied with it. Her 3-point range attracts the highlights, and her passing generates some of Indiana’s most exciting possessions. According to Cunningham, though, WNBA opponents should be paying much closer attention to what Clark is doing between the perimeter and the basket.
The Fever guard’s newest weapon may no longer be a secret. Stopping it is an entirely different challenge.
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