Fever’s Sydney Colson exits game vs. Mercury with leg injury as backcourt thins further without Caitlin Clark

Indiana Fever guard Sydney Colson had to be carried off the floor during her team’s 95-60 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday after an awkward landing on her left leg sidelined her for the remainder of the contest. 

Fever coach Stephanie White did not provide an update after the game. “We’ll get some more evaluation when we get home tomorrow and see where we are,” White said. 

Colson exited late in the first quarter after her left leg bent awkwardly as she tracked down an offensive rebound in the corner near the Fever’s bench. Colson immediately collapsed to the ground in obvious pain as her teammates and coaches huddled around her. After a brief consultation with the Fever’s medical staff, she was helped off the floor and went straight to the locker room. 

It’s too early to know Colson’s diagnosis or how long she may be sidelined, but non-contact leg injuries are always concerning. Colson left a game against the Connecticut Sun earlier this season with an injury to the same leg, but did not end up missing any time. 

Colson, 36, made her WNBA debut back in 2011 and spent the past three seasons in Las Vegas, where she won two titles with the Aces. The Fever signed Colson in free agency this winter with the hope that she would be a strong locker room presence for their young core

Due to Caitlin Clark’s extensive injury problems this season — the 2024 Rookie of the Year has appeared in just 13 games due to three different soft tissue injuries — Colson has ended up playing more than anyone expected. Entering Thursday, she was averaging 13.9 minutes per game, her most since 2016. 

Though Colson has been putting up just 2.4 points and 2.1 assists, she is one of two healthy point guards on the roster right now. Should she end up missing extensive time, that would be a blow to the Fever’s backcourt depth while they wait for Clark’s return. 

Clark has not played since injuring her right groin in a win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15. She missed All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, and Thursday’s matchup with the Mercury was her ninth consecutive missed game. As Clark approaches a month on the sidelines, it’s unclear when she’ll be back on the court. The Fever have not issued a timeline, and coach Stephanie White said earlier this week that they’re taking the cautious route with their superstar. 

“It’s day-to-day right now, we’re putting no timetable on it,” White said. “[She is] going through the rehab process, and then we want to reintegrate her from a strength and conditioning standpoint, and then get her back to basketball activities. So we’re taking it one day at a time, really slow rolling it, slow playing it this time … The most important thing for us is Caitlin’s long-term health and getting her back to 100% before we put her back on the floor.” 

Despite Clark’s continued absence, the Fever have surged into fifth place at 17-14 and are on track to make it back to the playoffs for the second season in a row.