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Former WNBA star Lisa Leslie says the Indiana Fever should resist the urge to bring Caitlin Clark back this season and instead focus on her long-term health.
Clark has missed 16 straight games since suffering a right groin injury on July 15. It is the third injury to sideline the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, who has been limited to 13 games this year. She has no timetable to return.
“She could provide an amazing boost, but again, I’m just gonna put my coach’s hat on, my GM hat on. You want to see Caitlin Clark for the longevity of her career,” Leslie said Tuesday on CBS Sports’ We Need to Talk. “I’m just thinking, me personally, I would not put Caitlin Clark back on the floor this season.”
Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images
Clark has averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists when healthy, establishing herself as the centerpiece of Indiana’s rebuild and one of the WNBA’s most marketable stars. Her playmaking and scoring have lifted the Fever’s offense, but Leslie cautioned that groin injuries are notoriously unpredictable.
“That deep groin injury is nothing to play around with,” Leslie said. “It can feel like you’ve never had it, you make one move, one cut — boom — she’s back in the same spot. I don’t know that it’s worth risking it. If they get the eighth spot and you get into the playoffs, is it really worth looking at Minnesota in Round 1? I don’t know. That’s just my opinion.”
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The Fever (20-18) enters a pivotal stretch without Clark as they push toward the postseason. Indiana picked up a key 95-75 victory over Seattle on Tuesday, vaulting from eighth to sixth in the standings. Aliyah Boston, Odyssey Sims, and Kelsey Mitchell combined for 70 points, with all three scoring at least 20.
That win, coupled with Los Angeles’ loss to Phoenix the same night, cut Indiana’s magic number to clinch a playoff berth to five with six games remaining. The Fever open a three-game West Coast trip Friday against the Sparks, who trail them in the standings and hold a 3-0 season-series edge. Los Angeles can close the gap with a win, while Indiana could nearly seal its playoff position with another victory.
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Friday’s matchup also features two of the league’s top scorers. Mitchell is averaging 20.7 points per game and set a franchise single-season scoring record Tuesday, while Sparks guard Kelsey Plum ranks fourth in the WNBA at 20.4 points per game to go with 5.9 assists.
Indiana is trying to reach the playoffs for a second straight season after ending a seven-year drought in 2024. The Fever were swept by Connecticut in the first round last year, losing 93-69 and 87-81.
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