The Indiana Fever continue to deal with a wave of injuries heading into tonight’s matchup against the Minnesota Lynx, and fans are still asking the same question: will Caitlin Clark or Sophie Cunningham be on the court? Unfortunately for the Fever faithful, both guards remain sidelined, leaving Indiana short-handed as the playoff push intensifies.
Clark, who has now missed 13 straight games, is battling a right groin injury that first forced her out of the lineup in mid-July. Her recovery was further complicated when she rolled her ankle during solo workouts earlier this month in Phoenix, according to Fieldhouse Files.
Head coach Stephanie White acknowledged how difficult the process has been for the rookie star. “It’s been really frustrating. I mean, Caitlin wants to play, you know, she’s a competitor. She just wants to be on the floor. She just wants to play basketball,” she said after Thursday’s practice, per Hawkeyes Wire.
“She’s in the mindset that she’s hungry, right, that she wants to be out there, and she wants to be with her team, and she’s working her butt off to get back in those situations. I think each time you have a tweak, or each time you have something else, it’s frustrating,” White added.
Sophie Cunningham and Caitlin Clark watch from the bench against the Dallas Wings (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
As for Sophie Cunningham, she is out for the remainder of the season after she tore her right medial collateral ligament during Sunday’s game. Cunningham had been one of Indiana’s spark plugs off the bench, and her absence adds another hurdle for a Fever squad already stretched thin.
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Fever still fighting for playoff position
Even with their backcourt gutted, the Fever have managed to stay afloat in the playoff picture. Since Clark last played, Indiana has posted a 7-6 record, improving their overall mark to 19-16.
That record puts them in sixth place in the WNBA standings, holding a slim two-game lead over the Los Angeles Sparks for the final postseason spots. With just five games left, every night matters.
