Caitlin Clark suffers serious ankle injury at Fever vs. Dream, while the 22-year-old rookie's ROTY dreams are at stake

“If not, then you're not a real baller.” Here's what Indiana Fever first-round pick Caitlin Clark had to say about her injury scare in May. At the time, the rookie ridiculed her stiff legs and laughed about how she wasn't particularly flexible anyway. Christie Sides and the entire Fever family weren't laughing, however, when she sprained her ankle. Something similar happened tonight when Indiana took to State Farm Arena to take on the host Atlanta Dream. Here's what happened.

The Indiana Fever had a quick run, beating the Dream in their own stadium. Caitlin Clark set the pace and scored points. However, as the No. 22 ran behind Aliyah Boston in the box with 3:09 left in the first quarter, she sprained her left ankle and fell to the ground. When the freshman didn't get up, the team surrounded her, followed by medical staff.

Even though she left the court on her own initiative, it was quite a shock for Indiana, as she is one of the most important offensive players on their roster. Before she went to the bench, Caitlin Clark had 5 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists.

After her exit, Erica Wheeler came on to man the court and assist with plays for the remaining three minutes of the first quarter. Caitlin Clark brought hope back to Fever fans when she returned to the field with the team in the second half. We've seen how much the freshman has impacted this team in just 29 games. But how exactly does she do it? Let's look at today's example.

What impact does Caitlin Clark's presence have on Indiana?

Caitlin Clark has the most minutes in the league so far. Why? Because she's an offensive force that shuts down her opponents in more ways than one. For example, tonight, Erica Wheeler was brought in as soon as she left the court. Although she's an All-Star and a veteran, she can't keep up with the pace that the Iowa sensation can achieve. The Fever also scored fewer points overall with Clark out of the court.

She's also an asset to the team, and that's what she's best known for. It's her passing. The rookie leads the league with an 8.3 assist average and has already reached over 200 assists, making her the only player in WNBA history to do so. She's developing into one of the WNBA's best pick-and-roll players, along with Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell and NaLyssa Smith. Clark is also ahead of Sabrina Ionescu when it comes to passing from the backcourt that leads to game-winning passes. Lexie Hull, Katie Lou Samuelson and Mitchell are the main point scorers in this case.

Even if we don't take those aspects into account, the mere presence of Caitlin Clark, probably due to hype or knowledge, has an impact on opponents. She creates space for her teammates by drawing attention to herself. Most of the time, she is guarded by two players, leaving at least one of her teammates free. Otherwise, she gives Indiana length through her deep threes. Overall, this rookie has been in top form since joining the Fever and it's clearly visible as they are currently in the seventh playoff spot. And Indiana hasn't been to the postseason since 2016, until now.

Stay tuned for more updates like this and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” when our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team selection Asia Avinger.