Lisa Bluder Linked To Indiana Fever Job Amid Caitlin Clark’s Early Struggles In The WNBA

 

Caitlin Clark  has had a no good, very bad start to her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever.

 

Indiana is 0-2 and lost both games by a combined 57 points. Meanwhile, Clark is 7-of-23 combined from the field for 29 points to go along with just nine assists and a league-high 13 turnovers.

But could help be on the way in the form of ex-Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder?

Indiana’s difficult start to the season, despite a roster that features Clark, 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston and 2022 No. 2 pick NaLyssa Smith has fans questioning the capability of head coach Christie Sides.

Sides took the Fever job prior to the 2023 season and then produced a league-worst 13-27 record.

Fans And Media Suggest Lisa Bluder For Indiana Fever Head Coaching Job

Now those same fans, and even some media members, are wondering if Bluder could step in and replace her.

Bluder, 63, recently announced her retirement after more than 20 seasons coaching the Iowa Hawkeyes.

But she did appear to leave the door open to a potential return when discussing her love the game.

 

“There is never an ideal time to retire and I am sure this fall that I will miss the games, the practices, the road trips, the atmosphere, the tremendous fans and, most importantly, the players,” she said in a statement at the time.

Bluder also has a unique bond with Clark which she’s spoken about at length.

“Everybody on our team respects her and just admires the way that she treats them. She’s just a very thoughtful, thoughtful individual,” Bluder said of Clark during the college season.

Could that respect and a chance at coaching women’s basketball at the highest level draw her out of retirement?

For one, the Fever job would have to come open first before it’s even a discussion. But if it does, it’s hard to imagine that there would be a better candidate than Bluder for the position.