After a whirlwind start to life in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark found her footing and guided the Indiana Fever back to the playoffs. The Fever will take part in postseason basketball for the first time since 2016 thanks in part to the efforts of their record-setting — and fun-loving — point guard, an All-Star as lethal with her shot as she is with her pass.

But Clark has not had it as easy as many expected when the Fever made her the #1 overall pick in April’s draft. Indiana started the season 3-10 — and though Clark was won herself a huge and dedicated fanbase, many of her supporters epitomize the worst in American sports fandom, peddling in tribalism and even overt racism. But through it all, Clark has found ways to continue having fun and enjoy the ride of pro basketball.

How Clark “unwinds” amid the pressure

While Clark has battled criticism during her rookie year, the 22-year-old has demonstrated composure and “chill” on the podium — and that philosophy of keeping things light has extended to the Indiana locker room.

“All we do is have fun with Caitlin Clark, we never take anything serious,” Fever guard Erica Wheeler told reporters this week. “I tell people all the time she’s really a kid at heart.”

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Wheeler, a nine-year veteran who agreed to move to the bench this season after the Fever drafted Clark, credited head coach Christie Sides for promoting a “loose” atmosphere that helped Indiana reel off a 17-9 record over its past 26 games. That run solidified Clark as a rising superstar and the prohibitive Rookie of the Year favorite — especially after Angel Reese‘s season ended early due to a wrist fracture.

The Fever are already locked in to the #6 seed in the playoffs ahead of Thursday night’s regular-season finale against the Washington Mystics. Indiana will not be favored against the likes of the Connecticut Sun or the Las Vegas Aces in the postseason, but Clark’s youthful energy and the momentum from ripping off nine wins out of 13 games will make the Fever a tough out in round one.