Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark left Tuesday night’s 85–77 win over the Connecticut Sun with what appeared to be a groin injury. The incident occurred in the final minute of the game, when Clark was seen in clear discomfort and had to be helped off the court by teammates.
The 23-year-old guard, who has already missed five games earlier this season due to a left groin issue, appeared emotional as she exited to the sideline. The nature of the injury has not yet been confirmed, as well as not official timeline.
Fever head coach Stephanie White addressed the situation shortly after the game, saying, “No update. Just felt a little something in her groin, so we’ll get it evaluated and see what happens from there,” according to reporter Scott Agness. Clark was not made available to reporters following the game.
Before her early exit, Clark logged 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Over the course of the season, the second-year pro is averaging 16.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game. However, her recent shooting numbers have dipped, hitting just 7 of her last 49 attempts from three-point range.
Caitlin Clark of Indiana Fever sits on the bench after being taken out of a game with a possible injury (Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
Tuesday’s game marked a key win for Indiana, who withstood a fourth-quarter push by the Sun. Aliyah Boston led all Fever scorers with 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Kelsey Mitchell added 18. The Sun were paced by DeWanna Bonner with 17 points.
Clark’s status for All-Star Weekend in doubt
Clark’s injury comes just days before she was scheduled to compete in two events during WNBA All-Star Weekend. The league had announced earlier Tuesday that she would be a participant in Friday night’s 3-Point Contest alongside Sabrina Ionescu, Allisha Gray, Sonia Citron and Kelsey Plum.
She is also slated to captain one of the All-Star teams in Saturday’s exhibition game. Clark earned the role after receiving the most fan votes in All-Star balloting and was given the opportunity to draft her squad, which includes Fever teammates Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell.
Whether she will be healthy enough to take part in either event is now unclear. The Fever and WNBA have not issued updates regarding her availability as of Wednesday morning. If Clark is unable to play, the league may need to name replacements for both events in the coming days.
