Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks, which will mark the fifth consecutive game she has missed as she recovers from a left groin injury. Clark’s absence continues as the Fever come off the high of winning the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup in an upset over the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday night.
Clark had been a partial participant in practice in recent days, and Fever coach Stephanie White maintained to reporters on Wednesday that the team continues to be cautious with her recovery.
“My goal has always been the same: I don’t want this to be something that lingers, that we come back too soon, ” White said. “We want to make sure that she is 100% ready to go and that we put her long-term health and wellness at the forefront.”
Fever vs. Lynx score: How Indiana stunned Minnesota to win Commissioner’s Cup despite Caitlin Clark’s absence
Jack Maloney
Clark last spoke on Sunday after practice and told reporters she felt “good” and was taking things “day-by-day.”
“Doing everything I can to put myself in a position to play the next game every single time,” Clark said. “That’s always my goal is to be available for the next game. Doing everything I can with the medical staff to be able to get my body right to be able to do that. But yeah, I feel good and just going day-by-day.”
Clark has not played since June 24, when she was held to a season-low six points in a win over the Seattle Storm. In the final seconds of that contest, Clark took an awkward fall. Prior to their next game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, the team announced that Clark would not play due to a groin injury. She also sat out against No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings last Friday.
Clark previously missed time with quad strain
This is the second injury Clark has dealt with this season. On Memorial Day, she was diagnosed with a left quad strain that ultimately kept her out for three weeks. All told, Clark has missed seven of the Fever’s 16 regular season games so far this year. They are 3-4 without her and 5-4 when she plays.
Before this season, Clark hadn’t missed a game since high school. Prior to sitting out of the Fever’s loss to the Washington Mystics on May 28, she had played in 185 consecutive games dating back to her freshman season of college at Iowa.
The Fever (and everyone in the league office) were hoping to have Clark back for the Commissioner’s Cup championship, but there was no reason to rush her back, even for a marquee event. Despite winning the Commissioner’s Cup, the championship does not count as a regular season game and does not have any tangible effect on the Fever’s season as a whole. Giving her a few extra days to ensure she’s fully recovered is far more important for the Fever as the mid-way point of the season nears.
After a thrilling start to the season, the Fever have limped through the last month. Clark, Sophie Cunningham, Damiris Dantas and even White have missed multiple games, while key free agent acquisition DeWanna Bonner forced her way out of town. As a result, the Fever are stuck in eighth place at 8-8. They’ll need Clark as close to 100% as possible the rest of the way if they want to climb in the standings.