“We’re going to start Syd at the point tomorrow and give that a look.” That’s what coach Stephanie White told reporters when asked who would step in for Caitlin Clark, who’s out for two weeks with a left quadriceps injury. The decision to start Sydney Colson made a lot of sense on paper. After all, she’s a seasoned guard with over a decade of WNBA experience and two championships to her name. But when game time came against the Washington Mystics, that move had plenty of fans and analysts raising their eyebrows. And for good reason.

Before the game against the Mystics, the 35-year-old guard from Texas had logged just 24 minutes all season. But in her first extended start in the absence of Clark, she played 31 minutes and struggled massively. Colson managed just 4 points on 2-of-7 shooting, picked up 5 fouls, and turned the ball over 3 times. Her lackluster performance proved costly as the Fever fell 77–83, handing the Mystics their first win after a three-game losing streak.

Ben Pickman of The Athletic certainly noted how playing Colson as the primary facilitator made the Fever offense more stagnant, and also highlighted how Coach White may have missed a trick by not using one particular lineup. On No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show podcast, he explained.

“I was most curious about why Stephanie White, against Washington, didn’t elect to play the lineup of Boston, Cunningham, Bonner, Mitchell, and Hull more, because that was a lineup that I think provides them with a little bit more dynamism. It puts the ball in Kelsey Mitchell’s hands, and your secondary kind of point guard, so to speak, or floor general, can become DeWanna Bonner. And we saw that a little bit on Wednesday night.”

Pickman went on to explain how that five-player lineup was on the court for just six offensive possessions but still averaged over two points per possession, with Mitchell running the offense in Colson’s absence. Perhaps going forward, we’ll see the Fever lean into that setup more often? Especially since DeWanna Bonner certainly shined as the floor general for the Fever in that game.

She scored 21 points and grabbed 7 rebounds! It was the kind of breakout performance fans have been waiting for from the league’s third all-time leading scorer. This was the DeWanna Bonner we know! A back-to-back All-Star and two-time WNBA champion. Her start was slow, but it looks like she has finally arrived!

While it’s expected that the Fever’s offensive struggles will ease once Caitlin Clark returns in three games time, one national reporter was quick to caution fans about the injury recovery process. A news that many Fever fans won’t like!

Seerat Sohi warns Indiana fans about Caitlin Clark’s return date

Initial reports suggested that Clark would miss up to two weeks of action with a left quadriceps strain, which would amount to four games in total. However, Sohi warned listeners about underestimating quad injuries, noting that other WNBA players with similar issues have missed up to six weeks.

“If you’re a Fever fan, don’t even look into NBA history because quads and their recovery time… are just not a fun wormhole to go down,” she said. For those unaware, Kawhi Leonard once missed 27 games with a quadricep injury. So it can be devastating at times, and everyone will be hoping that isn’t the case with Clark.

On top of that, White’s in hot water after a recent fine for slamming the refs over a missed call in the Fever’s loss to the New York Liberty on May 24. She argued Clark wasn’t getting fair protection, but the league hit her with a penalty, and she jokingly sidestepped more ref talk to avoid another hit to her wallet.

A clearer timeline of her recovery is expected following her reevaluation on June 9. All eyes will be on the update. Will Caitlin Clark be ready in time to face the Atlanta Dream on June 10? We’ll just have to wait and see!