Don't hold anyone to it, but Caitlin Clark might — might — be returning to the court for the Indiana Fever this week.
Fans went into overdrive Monday afternoon after the Fever released guard Kyra Lambert — who had only signed her a 7-day contract on Thursday, August 14 — per the WNBA transactions page. The team is currently operating without Clark and fellow guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson, and teammate Sophie Cunningham exited Sunday's game against the Connecticut Sun with a knee injury.
While the team hasn't said anything about Clark's potential return (or even about Lambert's departure), that hasn't stopped excited fans from doing some math. IndyStar reported Chloe Peterson previously noted the team would have to waive Odyssey Sims or Lambert ahead of Clark's eventual return, and the Fever extended Sims' contract for another 7 days on Sunday.
Sims has become something of a rallying point for many Fever fans. Though Kelsey Mitchell was the star of Sunday's game with a monster 38-point performance (and she deserved every single second of all of that attention and love), Sims was the team's second-highest scorer with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and a team-high 7 assists. She's managed to build on her stats with each game she's played with the Fever so far, an impressive feat considering Sims was tasked with jumping into a brand new system on the fly.
In fact, if the Fever manages to stay ahead of at least half of the league (the team is currently ranked sixth overall and third in the Eastern Conference), Sims will be a big part of the reason why — and she'll provide excellent back-up if and/or when Clark returns to finish up the 2025 season.
The Fever have a daunting schedule ahead of them
The end of the Fever's season won't be an easy one. The team will face the Minnesota Lynx three times, with the first game taking place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday, August 22. They will then have to take on the Storm, Sparks, Valkyries, and Mercury — all teams who have beaten the Fever this season — once each.
Caitlin Clark has missed over 20 games this season
Clark has been plagued with injuries throughout the 2025 season, and Sunday's game marked the 21st she's missed since initially straining her left quadriceps during the preseason. Clark further aggravated that injury, and has also suffered a left groin and a right groin injury as well. This season marks the first in which she's missed any basketball games at all, let alone so many games that she's well into the double digits.