Caitlin Clark will miss at least two weeks of the 2025 WNBA season due to a leg injury, the Indiana Fever announced Monday.
Clark never missed a regular or post-season game as a rookie last season or in her four seasons at Iowa.
In fact, the last game she missed was in November 2017 when she was a sophomore at Dowling Catholic High School, according to CBS Sports.
Clark’s high school coach, Kristin Meyer, told Christine Brennan, the author of the upcoming Clark biography “On Her Game,” that “it about killed” Clark to miss that game because of a “badly sprained ankle.”
Clark’s injury is new and is not the same as the left quad injury she dealt with in the preseason, Indy Star Sports’ Chloe Peterson reported.
How bad is Caitlin Clark’s injury?
Fever head coach Stephanie White told reporters on Monday that she’s not sure when Clark was injured.
White said that after the Fever’s loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday, she was informed that Clark “had something going on with her leg” and would get an MRI.
White didn’t know the grade of the strain, Peterson reported.
White is glad Clark alerted the staff to her injury.
“Sometimes great players don’t tell you when they‘re hurting. I’m glad that she did because we need to nip this in the bud,” she said.
White understands that neither Clark nor fans want Clark to miss time, but for White, it’s about “maintaining perspective,” she said.
“It’s making sure we address this in a way that doesn’t affect (her) long term. That we take care of it. Don’t over push, over exert. Making sure that we take the long game approach to this, so that we’re not having lingering issues throughout the course of the season,” she said.
On Tuesday, Clark was off to the side at practice and afterwards worked on shooting drills with White’s sons as her ball boys, Peterson reported.
Can the Fever still compete without Caitlin Clark?
The Fever are currently 2-2.
Last season, Clark led the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016. The Fever ultimately were swept in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
Entering this season, the Fever were favorites to make the playoffs again and make a run at the finals. ESPN ranked the Fever fourth in its preseason power rankings.
White was asked Monday if she thought the Fever were “equipped” to get through Clark’s absence.
“I think so. I think that’s the advantage of our depth,” White said.
The Fever made several additions in the offseason including DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard and Sophie Cunningham.
White has chosen to look on the bright side and focus on the opportunity Clark’s absence provides for the team.
“Certainly we’d rather have it early than late. It’s a great opportunity for our team to find an identity. It’s a great opportunity to play in a different way,” she said.
White also said Clark’s time on the sideline would allow her to develop “a coaching mindset.”
The Fever next play on Wednesday against the Washington Mystics.