One of the biggest surprises of the WNBA Expansion Draft on Saturday was that Indiana Fever left veteran center Temi Fagbenle unprotected, making her available for the Golden Valkyries to draft her. Franchise star Caitlin Clark had a six-word message for her, as she said goodbye to Indiana.
Fagbenle made an Instagram post on Saturday, showing some of her highlights from the season and wrote, âThank you for a great season @IndianaFever. To my teammates: we had a season of revelations and growth. So proud of all yâall for persevering. Thank you for lifting me and each other. F the noise. Keep growing together.â
âThank you for the consistent energy, Indy fans. Yâall are solid,â she added, before concluding: âVery grateful. Very blessed.âOne of the top comments was from Clark, who wrote: âLove ya tem! Gonna miss you,â with a heart emoji.
Clark and Fagbenleâs chemistry will be missed
Before joining the Fever, the 32-year-old Fagbenle had not appeared in a WNBA game since her 2019 stint with the Minnesota Lynx. However, she quickly adjusted and became a crucial part of the Feverâs rotation, thanks to her strong chemistry with Clark.
Caitlin Clark #22 and Temi Fagbenle #14 of the Indiana Fever watch a replay of a foul during the second half against the Connecticut Sun (Elsa/Getty Images)
Fagbenleâs ability to run the court and excel in pick-and-roll situations made her a favorite target for the 2024 Rookie of the Year. Clark assisted on 21 of Fagbenleâs 54 field goals.
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After the Olympic break, their connection reached another level, with the team achieving a +14.7 net rating in 158 minutes as they made a late push into the playoffs. Unfortunately, Fagbenleâs impact was somewhat limited by injuries, which restricted her to just 22 games.
Fagbenle will be a restricted free agent, which means the Valkyries can match any offer she gets to retain her in free agency. It was surprising that the Fever didnât choose to protect her, as many experts were predicting. While Clark has the versatility to adapt, losing one of her top connections could pose challenges as she enters her sophomore season.
