No timetable to return, no additional damage

INDIANAPOLIS – Caitlin Clark did not suffer additional damage or injuries from a right groin injury suffered July 15, the Indiana Fever announced after Clark went through further medical evaluations earlier this week. There is still no timetable for her return.

Clark will continue to work with the Fever’s medical team on her recovery, the team said, prioritizing her long-term health and well-being. No further details will be provided at this time, the team said, and any updates will be provided once available.

“These soft tissue injuries sometimes nag until you can actually have time to really allow them to heal in the offseason,” Fever coach Stephanie White said on July 20, before Clark met with those additional doctors. “So we’ll just take it one day at a time and as they come, and this group will continue to progress together.”

That right groin injury was Clark’s fourth muscle injury of the season. She first missed the Fever’s preseason opener with quad tightness, then strained her quad on May 24 and missed two weeks, amounting to five games. Two weeks after her return from the quad injury, she suffered a left groin injury on June 25, keeping her out for another two weeks and four regular-season games.

Caitlin Clark may be out for a bit. How do Fever adjust without her?

This most recent injury came against the Connecticut Sun, and the pain was evident on her face. She grabbed her right upper-thigh/groin area after a bounce-pass assist to Kelsey Mitchell with about 30 seconds in the game, her eyes immediately welling up with tears. 

She got imaging done in New York on July 16, which ruled her out for the second game of Indiana’s back-to-back against the Liberty and forced her to pull out of All-Star weekend activities in Indianapolis, including the 3-point contest and the game itself.

Clark has been averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists (second in the WNBA) and 5.0 rebounds this season, but has been struggling with her shot (36.7% from the field and 27.9% from 3), while dealing with those nagging injuries.

Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at capeterson@gannett.com or follow her on X at @chloepeterson67. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter.