The Indiana Fever will face the Seattle Storm in a key matchup for their playoff hopes. Stephanie White’s squad has dealt with injuries throughout the regular season, including to stars Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham.
According to Angela Moryan of WISH News 8, Clark has officially been ruled out for tonight’s game as she continues to recover from a right groin injury. However, IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson reported that Clark participated in light drills with the Fever for the first time in more than a month.
After missing 14 straight games, Clark joined the portion of shootaround open to the media Sunday morning, working with the team for the first time since suffering her groin injury against the Connecticut Sun on July 15.
Peterson clarified, however, that Clark has not yet fully returned to practice, noting that “a team spokesperson said her participation in shootaround is part of her return-to-play regimen.”
Meanwhile, Cunningham has been ruled out for the rest of the season after tearing her right medial collateral ligament on August 17 in a game against the Connecticut Sun.
Stephanie White talks Clark’s progress
According to Peterson, Clark joined her teammates for dynamic warmups before shifting to light, non-contact work with Indiana’s reserves during the portion of shootaround open to the media.
“It was a good step, because she got out there on the floor with us for the first time, part of the sort of return to activity thing,” White told reporters, via IndyStar. “But it was all very low, low-maintenance, you know, 5-on-0 low intensity stuff. So I think just getting her back out there, getting her comfortable, and see where she goes.“
In recent weeks, Clark has been limited to solo workouts, including one on August 7 in Phoenix, when she sustained a bone bruise on her left ankle. The Fever did not indicate if that setback altered her recovery timeline, noting she never had a set return date from the right groin injury in the first place.