Fans in Disbelief Over Caitlin Clark’s Fever Teammate’s Abrupt Exit

While the Indiana Fever got swept by the Connecticut Sun in the first round of the 2024 WNBA playoffs, the team’s future remains bright.

Fever guard Caitlin Clark set a single-season rookie scoring record with 769 points and three-pointers made (122). She led the entire league in assists (337) and broke the WNBA record for most assists in a single game (19).

The Fever got better the more games they played as Clark found a rhythm with her new teammates. However, there was one player who had immediate chemistry with Clark after she was drafted at the No.1 overall pick, and that was veteran Temi Fagbenle.

“It’s really amazing, because we haven’t had many practices together,” Fagbenle said of Clark on May 27, “I’ve only had a few of those kind of point guards, who you just know sees the play before it’s happened.

“Regular point guards, I’m like, they didn’t see it … but Caitlin saw that before I was open.”

While fans were excited to see more of the Fagbenle/Clark connection next season, the Golden State Valkyries had other plans.

During the expansion draft on Dec. 6, the Valkyries selected Fagbenle, a decision which stunned fans.

While the 32-year-old center missed numerous games last season due to injuries, she was crucial voice in the locker room and beloved by Fever fans. While each WNBA team could project six players, making them unavailable in the expansion draft, Fagbenle was not one of them.

One fan posted, “I’m so confused by this! How was Temi not protected?! Temi you will be missed!!!” Another person wrote, “I’m shocked we didn’t protect her. But I trust our front office. Who did we protect instead of her though?”

One woman responded, “noooooooooooooooo. My heart is broken.”  Another fan posted, “I CAN’T BELIEVE YALL.”

Fagbenle isn’t the only player close to Clark that got drafted by the Valkyries on Friday.