Caitlin Clark is out with her fourth injury of the season (she previously missed preseason games due to tightness in her left quad, then missed a combined 10 games due to a left quad injury following by a left groin injury), a reality that is difficult for the Indiana Fever... but likely the most difficult for Clark herself.
That's the conclusion that was reached by The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant on Sunday, July 20. In addition to not being able to play, Clark also had to bow out of the 3-point contest and the All-Star Game last weekend. While Clark missing in action on the floor impacts many people in the WNBA to varying degrees, she is the one who has to deal with the fact that she isn't playing.
Clark is known for her competitive spirit, something that likely makes it exceedingly difficult for her to be sidelined. She also played her entire collegiate career without ever missing a game, so being forced to sit out several games in one season is entirely unprecedented for her.
As Merchant put it, ahead of this season, "There were such high hopes for how she would perform after a full offseason of rest and recovery, considering the giant step forward she took after the month-long Olympic break as a rookie."
Instead, Clark has dealt with injury after injury after injury. The Fever have had to contend with the fact that the team plays one way with Clark on the floor and another way without her, which has contributed to the team's inconsistency and overall 12-11 record so far this season.
It's not clear when Caitlin Clark will be back on the floor
There's also no indication Clark will return to the floor any time soon. Coach Stephanie White noted Sunday and Monday that Clark is seeing other doctors this week and that she doesn't have any kind of timetable for when she could be back. The Fever have a full slate of games — at least two more months to get through — and that's a fact whether or not Clark is playing.
The Fever entered the 2025 season on a high: everything seemed like it was finally clicking into place for the team. But then, almost as quickly as the season was built up, things began to fall apart. Sophie Cunningham also missed several games with an ankle injury, DeWanna Bonner missed five games due to "personal reasons" and was then waived, and it started to feel like the Fever just couldn't catch a break.
The WNBA season is more than halfway complete, and the Fever aren't quite where they'd like to be. A solution for Clark's ongoing injuries hasn't yet presented itself, but one needs to be sorted out — and fast.