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The Indiana Fever fans have to wait even more for Caitlin Clark’s return. The 23-year-old missed the Tuesday game against the Dallas Wings, her 11th straight miss since sustaining a right groin injury. Fever coach Stephanie White indicated that Clark will be sidelined for at least a few more weeks, with no potential return date revealed.
Caitlin Clark began running full court last week and has not yet added more to her workload, White said.
“No return to practice, she’s been able to get a little bit more of her full- court running with all of her body weight. It’s really building up from doing minimal to then building some endurance to do longer periods of time. She’s been able to do a little more on the court in terms of how she moves, but not into practice yet,” the coach added.
The 2024 No. 1 overall draft pick and former Iowa standout has been sidelined for most of the season after suffering multiple injuries to her quad and groin. The latest setback came on July 15, when she was hurt late in a game against the Connecticut Sun.
Since then, she has appeared in only 13 of Indiana’s 32 regular-season contests, missing major events such as the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final and the All-Star Game in Indianapolis.
Clark’s durability had never been in question before this year. She went through her entire college career and her rookie WNBA season without missing a game due to injury.
When healthy, the two-time All-Star has been a force on the court, averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game this season.
How is Indiana Fever doing without Caitlin Clark?
Without their marquee player, the Fever have still managed to stay in the playoff hunt, holding an 18-14 record in the Eastern Conference. Strong performances from Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, and Sophie Cunningham have kept the team afloat, and the recent addition of Odyssey Sims adds another weapon to the roster.
Their upcoming home game against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be another test of whether they can maintain momentum in Clark’s absence. Success will hinge on spreading the scoring load and integrating new pieces quickly into the system.
