The hype kicked off with a single photograph. In March, during the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament in Indianapolis, a shot of Caitlin Clark cheering from the sidelines, arms flexed, muscles defined, went viral and sparked conversation across social media. “There’s been much ado about her guns,” said Amber Cox, the Fever’s chief operating officer. Even the team staff took notice. “She was obviously very proud of it,” added Sarah Kessler, Indiana’s head athletic performance coach. “We did have a chuckle about it, though, because it garnered more attention than we realized it would.”
That viral image wasn’t just a flash of vanity; it was evidence of Clark’s offseason grind. For the first time since the summer of 2023, she had the time and space to focus entirely on building her body for the rigors of the WNBA. “I don’t know the last time I’ve had an athlete in the W, or even on the men’s side, really, where you have a consistent four- to five-month period where you get to just work together,” Kessler said. The main goal? Adding muscle. Clark embraced that challenge with characteristic tenacity. “I’ve had athletes who have said that, and then maybe when the work component shows up to actually achieve those goals, that’s where there’s maybe a disconnect,” Kessler noted. “But with Caitlin, she set those goals, and from the jump, I was seeing her in the weight room four to five times a week.”
