Caitlin Clark’s gravity numbers look strange at first because the Indiana Fever star still bends defenses more visibly than almost anyone in the WNBA.
The confusion comes from what the metric is actually separating. Clark can pull heavy pressure when she has the ball, while still ranking differently when the model weighs off-ball gravity.
That split is what makes the discussion useful. It does not say defenses ignore Clark; it shows where her pressure is being measured most clearly.
Rachel DeMita explains why Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever gravity metric looks off
During a recent Rachel DeMita breakdown, the WNBA analyst said she was surprised by Clark’s position on the gravity list, given how teams typically approach her.
“I thought this was so interesting because Caitlin Clark is far down this list,” DeMita said. “I think when we think about gravity, we think that she is the number one player, because how many teams shift their defenses to adapt to Caitlin?”
That is a common reaction. Clark’s shooting range forces teams to pick her up early, trap her in screens and shift coverages toward her side of the floor.
The WNBA’s Inside the Game platform defines player gravity as the defensive pressure an offensive player draws, both on and off the ball. That means the overall number can look different from how a possession feels when Clark is initiating the offense.
Rachel DeMita highlights why Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever on-ball gravity still matters
DeMita then pointed out the split that helps make sense of Clark’s place in the rankings, stating: “Her on-ball gravity is some of the highest in all of these rankings. Like they have her at 5.3 and a 4.4.”
“When it comes to perimeter on-ball gravity minutes, she is at 5.3, and Sonia Citron is 2.4. And then when you look at the off-ball gravity, that’s when things change,” DeMita concluded.
That is the important distinction. Clark’s on-ball gravity captures the defensive pressure she draws when she is actively running the offense, often well beyond the arc.
Off-ball gravity looks at how teams react when she is away from the ball, where Indiana’s spacing and movement can change the picture entirely.
So the lower overall metric is not proof that Clark lacks gravity. It is a reminder that a single number can sometimes blur the line between her impact with the ball and the way teams play her off it.
DeMita’s point holds up: the combined ranking might seem low, but Clark is still one of the most defense-shifting players in the league.
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