The Indiana Fever face the Golden State Valkyries today. Caitlin Clark, who has been out since June 26 with a left groin injury and missed five straight games, is officially returning to the starting lineup.
The team confirmed that Clark is taking Lexie Hull spot on the lineup. Seh is playing alongside: Aari McDonald, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard
and Aliyah Boston.
White told reporters on Monday, July 7 that she was monitoring Clark’s progress, but that she was hopeful she would start. “How does she feel? How does she look? What does recovery look like? And so this was really the first time we’ve been able to get around some live action. So, we’ll see what it brings tomorrow,” she said.
On Monday, Clark participated in the full 5-on-5 portion of practice, marking her first time in that setting since the injury. This is her second stint out due to injury this season and the first time in her career she has missed official games.
Earlier in the year, Clark sat out five games because of a left quadriceps strain. In total, she has missed 10 of the Fever’s 18 games so far this season. Without her, the team has gone 5–5 and holds a 9–9 overall record.
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Caitlin Clark shows up unexpectedly in front of Fever fans with an on-court moment
Clark could play alongside Aari McDonald
To help fill the void during Clark’s absence, the Fever re-signed Aari McDonald after waiving DeWanna Bonner, who felt she wasn’t the right fit for the team. McDonald has since started in the backcourt alongside Sophie Cunningham.
However, during Monday’s practice, head coach Christie Sides tested a lineup with both Clark and McDonald on the floor. The Fever ran several offensive sets with McDonald acting as the primary ball-handler, while Clark played off the ball in a scoring role.
