Tyler here holding down the newsletter once again with Andrew out, including a feature from Chauny on point three about the potential next Gamecock great!

The Indiana Fever certainly gave us plenty to discuss with the way they have handled Caitlin Clark’s game absence this week, so much so we discussed here in the newsletter AND this week’s Ball Up Top podcast that you find below!

Our newest episode of Ball Up Top: A WBB Podcast dropped this afternoon! We dive into the Caitlin Clark injury situation as a whole plus check-in with Angel Reese and the Atlanta Dream following their Aces matchup from the weekend.

And if you are more of a video watcher than a podcast listener, our Fever segment was uploaded to the No Cap Space YouTube!

We all understand it didn’t have to be this way right? The handling of Caitlin Clark’s injury from the Indiana Fever really couldn’t have been much worse from a PR and Comms perspective.

First we get a report that it was a “strategic management plan”, which was quickly denied by Stephanie White in the pregame press conference. So where does that leave us on the outside looking in?

Confused would certainly be one way to describe it. Had Clark just been listed on the injury report and then subsequently ruled out, would people have discussed it? Sure. But it would have been a much more come and go dialogue. The Fever left the door open for speculation on a body part that has been known to linger with Clark being listed out due to her back.

Frankly, the Fever must be fined for this. There are competitive implications, there are fan implications, there is WNBA money implications. The way this was handled cannot be allowed to become normalized across the league.

For Caitlin, I truly hope this is a situation that we treated as something that ultimately becomes nothing. But when you leave the door open like the Fever did, it tends to swing wide with worry and dialogue. Time will tell, but the spotlight is now on Clark’s health and the way the Fever handle it going forward.

When Dallas decided to draft Azzi Fudd with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, the commitment to the three guard system was official. They had a plan and were sticking by it.

That plan was only made more obvious in the lead up to the draft when the Wings signed Jessica Shepard and Alanna Smith. Now…..I don’t have many positive things to say about Alanna Smith’s time in Dallas so far, so lets focus on Jessica Shepard.

When Fudd was coming in I likened her to, AND I KNOW THE BLOCK IS HOT WITH THIS NAME LET US KEEP IT ON THE COURT FOR A SEC, Klay Thompson. An incredibly elite three point shooter that is also incredibly capable defensively. When making the comp I didn’t think about there being a Steph Curry on this team, because there isn’t, but I did make the comp with revolutionizing the league’s style of play in mind.

What might be the true prime Warriors comp here is did Dallas find their Draymond Green in Jessica Shepard? After posting a triple-double last night against the Sky, the way she connects this Wings offense together is increasingly clear. Dribble hand off actions with the guards, rebounding the ball and taking it up herself allowing the guards to get up the court in a space out fashion, it is the exact type of big Dallas needs to pair with their guards.

Compared to Smith, Sheppard was the less heralded of the two Minnesota bigs that signed with Dallas, but so far her production is blowing Smith’s out of the water and it isn’t close.

On Ball Up Top, the NCS crew discussed the need for the Atlanta Dream to get everyone healthy and in well-defined roles. One role has already been filled and that's the rising star by Madina Okot. The rookie big out of South Carolina recorded her first career double-double against the Las Vegas Aces last Sunday and left head coach Karl Smesko with nothing but high praise about the 6'6 Kenyan native. 

"I really do think she's gonna end up being one of the best players in this league, she has that type of ability," Smesko said postgame. "She's still learning, but to see what she can do at this point, is pretty impressive. 

Smesko would later expound on what makes Okot so good so soon and the full press conference can be found on our YouTube page. 

WNBA fans hate AI but the league is embracing it anyway by Frankie de la Cretz, Out of Your League

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