The Caitlin Clark circus is taking a forced intermission. On Saturday, when the Indiana Fever host the Los Angeles Sparks, their marquee attraction will be wearing street clothes. She’s out. A nagging back injury has finally caught up with her, as confirmed by head coach Stephanie White during Friday’s practice. “She’s OK,” White offered, though her definition of “OK” apparently includes watching from the sidelines. “She’s going to be out on Saturday.”
It was bound to happen. During Wednesday’s physical clash with the Phoenix Mercury, Clark limped off to the locker room with just over five minutes left in the third quarter. She never came back. While White played coy about the exact trigger, anyone with eyes saw the toll. First came a hard landing in the second quarter that left Clark clutching her lower back—a play the refs ignored. Then came the real violence. Alyssa Thomas delivered a fist to Clark’s throat during a scramble, earning herself a Flagrant 2 and a subsequent one-game suspension. Welcome to the pros, kid.
This isn’t a new ache. Clark’s spine has been a ticking time bomb all season. She already sat out a May 20 matchup against Portland. After that, the Fever spent 13 games listing her as “probable” with back issues, a move that only came after the WNBA slapped the franchise’s wrist for shady injury reporting.
How long will she be shelved? Nobody knows. Or at least, nobody is saying. Fortunately for Indiana, the schedule maker offered a lifeline. After Saturday’s game, the league grinds to a halt for eight days for the Commissioner’s Cup. “No indication,” White said regarding a return date. But she put a brave face on the timing, noting the upcoming week off is a perfect window for treatment. In this league, you survive. Right now, Clark is just trying to heal.
