Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will miss her fourth consecutive game due to a left groin injury, with the team officially ruling her out for Thursday’s matchup against the Las Vegas Aces.
Until this year, Clark had maintained a perfect attendance record through both her college and early professional career. However, this will mark the eighth regular-season game she’s missed (ninth including all competitions) after previously sitting out five games due to a left quad strain earlier in the season.
Clark was also sidelined for Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Cup final, in which the Fever defeated the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 74–59. Clark had been questionable ahead of Tuesday’s game but was ruled out shortly before tipoff. Earlier in the week, White indicated that the 6-foot guard had resumed noncontact drills in practice.
“My goal has always been the same,” head coach Stephanie White said on Wednesday (via ESPN). “I don’t want this to be something that lingers, that we come back too soon. We want to make sure that she is 100% ready to go and that we put her long-term health and wellness at the forefront.”
“She wants to play and she’s working to play and she has been working to play,” White added. “And I think after a few days, it’s like, ‘OK, we’ve got a little bit of time’ — I think it’s five games before All-Star break — so let’s just ease her mind even though she’s antsy and let’s do this the right way and make sure we’re ready to go and 100% when she comes back.”
Clark won her first All-Star captaincy
Clark is averaging 18.2 points, 8.9 assists, and 5.0 rebounds through nine games, while shooting 39.0% from the floor and 29.5% from beyond the arc. Her impressive start earned her a starting spot and captaincy in the upcoming All-Star Game, after receiving the most fan votes.
The Fever, currently 8-8, begin a five-game homestand Thursday night. After facing Las Vegas, they’ll host the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday and the Golden State Valkyries next Wednesday, hoping to continue their momentum as they head into the All-Star break.
