Caitlin Clark explains proactive role in recruitment of stars in Indiana Fever's offseason

The Indiana Fever overhauled their roster in the offseason. They added proven veterans like Sophie Cunningham, DeWanna Bonner, Brianna Turner, and Natasha Howard to their already promising core of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston.

That's the kind of aggressive approach you take when you land a generational talent like Clark, and it didn't take long before some of the best players in the league took note. Many of them realized that playing with her gave them a big shot at a championship.

That's why when Caitlin Clark reached out to some of them to join her in Indianapolis, she didn't have to do a lot of recruiting. As per SI, Clark was heavily involved in recruiting this offseason, but most players didn't need much persuading:

“People want to come here and play with us and be a part of this organization,” Clark told Sports Illustrated on Thursday. “Honestly, in our case, it worked out pretty fast. Everyone wanted to come.”

The Fever now enter the season as one of the strongest championship contenders. While they will face some salary cap constraints to make more moves mid-season, it's hard to envision a team more stacked and well-balanced.

WNBA Commissioner discusses 'balance' when promoting Caitlin Clark

Caitlin Clark is already one of the most popular athletes on Earth, and her impact on the game is as notorious as it's undeniable. Nevertheless, it seems like the WNBA doesn't want to become a one-player league, which is why they're juggling to figure out their promotion of other players.

According to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert, it's all about finding the right balance. She spoke on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" on Wednesday:

"It is a balance, but she's a generational talent," Engelbert said. "No league is ever about one player, but in this case, Caitlin brought tens of millions of new viewers into the W. And there's no denying that impact... [NBA commissioner] Adam [Silver] and I talk all the time about this, she’s the most popular athlete in America."

Of course, Clark isn't the only superstar in the game, and players like A'Ja Wilson or Sabrina Ionescu were already big sensations before she arrived in the league. Then again, it's not every day that you get a once-in-a-lifetime phenom like her, and while it might rub other players the wrong way, the WNBA needs to capitalize on this new influx of attention and maximize the league's value at all costs.

At the end of the day, the audience is king, and the fans have made things clear: They want to watch Caitlin Clark play.