NEW YORK (AP) — The Indiana Fever may have to manage without their star guard Caitlin Clark once again, as she sustained a groin injury during a win over the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night.
Clark injured her right groin late in the game, and it will keep her out of the Fever’s Wednesday night game against New York—just under 24 hours after the injury occurred. Initially listed as questionable earlier in the day, Clark’s status remains uncertain moving forward, especially with All-Star Weekend approaching.
As part of the All-Star festivities, Clark is scheduled to participate in the 3-point contest on Friday night and is also set to serve as the captain of one of the All-Star teams. However, her availability for the weekend remains in doubt.
Fever head coach Stephanie White provided a brief update after the 85-77 victory over the Sun in Boston, saying, “No update. Just felt a little something in her groin. We’ll get it evaluated and see what happens from there.”
The Injury Incident
Clark’s injury occurred with under a minute left in the game when she walked down the court, holding her right groin after assisting on the Fever’s final basket.
As teammate Aliyah Boston tried to console her, Clark walked to the basket stanchion, banged her head against it in frustration, and then headed to the bench. During the ensuing timeout, Clark covered her head with a towel, visibly upset and appearing to hold back tears.
A Challenging Year for Clark
Clark, who had been remarkably durable throughout both her college career and first season in the WNBA, is now dealing with multiple injuries this year. The groin injury marks her fourth muscle injury in 2023, a year filled with setbacks.
Earlier in the season, Clark missed the preseason opener due to tightness in her quad, but she played in an exhibition game the following day. She then suffered a quad strain on May 24 against New York, sidelining her for five games.
Clark returned to action on June 14, playing in five games before suffering another groin injury—this time to her left groin—forcing her to miss four more contests, including the Commissioner’s Cup final.
With the Fever’s Wednesday shootaround in New York canceled due to the back-to-back nature of the games, it’s unclear when Clark will return to the court. As the Fever continue to navigate her injury status, the hope remains that Clark can play in the upcoming All-Star Weekend festivities in her hometown of Indiana.
