The Indiana Fever are certainly glad to have Caitlin Clark back on the court. Clark led Indiana to 102-88 win over New York on Saturday, handing the Liberty their first loss of the season. Clark scored 32 points, including seven three-pointers, in her return after a five-game absence following a quad injury. Now she is receiving MVP hype after her big game.

Natalie Esquire of NBCSports made a bold claim about Caitlin Clark after Saturday's huge win against the Liberty.

Esquire believes that Clark has the best chance to challenge Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier for MVP in 2025.

“Obviously still very early, but right now the only player that will likely challenge [Collier] for MVP this season is Caitlin Clark,” Esquire wrote on social media on Saturday.

She added that the Fever would likely need to improve their record, and win some head-to-head matchups against the Lynx, to add to Clark's resume.

Clark was on fire against the Liberty. She logged 32 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, two blocks, and one steal in 31 minutes on Saturday.

Earlier in the season, Clark was the favorite to win MVP. But Collier surpassed her as the betting favorite after Clark's quad injury.

There is some truth to Esquire's bold claim, especially when looking at the betting markets after Saturday's games. There is a huge gulf between Clark's odds (+310) and third-place Brenna Stewart (+4500).

Clark and the Fever will need to keep the pressure on if she wants to seriously challenge Collier for MVP.

Kelsey Mitchell credits “resilience” for Fever's huge win against Liberty

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The Liberty made the Fever play a complete forty minutes to get a win on Saturday.

Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell was asked after the game what she likes about her team's recent performances. Mitchell claimed that Indiana's resilience is helping them win games.

“Our resilience. I think when the going gets tough and stuff happens, bad stuff and good stuff, it's about staying neutral and staying neutralized and I think we did that for the whole game,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell played an important role in the victory, logging 22 points that included a handful of important three-point shots. She led the Fever with 34 minutes alongside Lexie Hull.

Indiana is now 5-5 on the 2025 season after defeating New York. Now that Clark is back, the Fever will look to start stacking some wins.

Next up for the Fever is a home game against the Sun on Tuesday night.