With Caitlin Clark sidelined for the fourth straight game owing to a left quad strain, it turns out the Indiana Fever may not have needed her on the court this time. The team cruised to a dominant 79–52 win over the Chicago Sky, fueled by a strong 17-point performance from Kelsey Mitchell. But while the players handled business on the court, Clark was busy honing a different set of skills.

Although Clark didn’t suit up, she was very much present, traveling with the team to take in the historic matchup. After all, this wasn’t just any game, it marked the first-ever WNBA contest at the iconic United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls. The energy was high, the moment was big, and Clark, even off the floor, remained locked in. But seems like the superstar doesn’t always need a basketball court to stay sharp. Just check her recent Instagram story!

The Chicago Skyline meeting the horizon—it looked like something straight out of a professional photo shoot. But as WNBA photographer Bri Lewerke clarified in the caption, “Sneak peek of Caitlin Clark’s pics from Chicago. She’s low-key nice. This isn’t edited at all.”

That’s high praise coming from a professional photographer, and once you see the snap, it’s easy to understand why. Even Clark herself acknowledged the shots with a playful “Not horrible” message while sharing it on her Instagram story along with a shrugging emoji—just enough to show the growing interest she’s developing in photography while recovering from the injury that’s kept her off the court for multiple weeks. But clearly, Clark isn’t dwelling.

“I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress and I feel good,” Clark told reporters ahead of the game against Sky. “But I’m not going to rush coming back. It’s just not worth it.”

Even though she’s been sidelined physically, Clark hasn’t taken a break mentally. In fact, she’s used this downtime to watch the game from a different angle—literally. Observing from the bench, she’s seeing the game in a new light. “When you’re out there in the heat of the moment, you don’t always catch everything. From the bench, you notice details—even some things the coaches or players might miss,” Clark explained.

With that fresh perspective, the Fever star has shifted her role from floor general to vocal leader. She’s staying engaged by supporting her teammates and acting as a bridge between the coaching staff and the players. And in the off-hours, looks like she’s expanding her skills.

She’s been embracing life beyond basketball for a while now.

What is Caitlin Clark thinking about beyond basketball?

One of the things Clark is passionate about? It’s cooking. Well, that’s something she revealed in an interview with Sports Illustrated, wherein she was accompanied by Fever teammates. When asked to guess what the 2024 ROTY might have been doing had she not been a basketball player, they had interesting answers: Golf and coaching. But they were way off.

“So I’m actually a very good cook, thank you. I made fudgy brownies this weekend,” she said confidently. “I have a great spicy vodka sauce recipe. Yeah, and I’m making broccoli beef tonight,” she added. Previously, the Fever icon had also revealed that her dream as a kid was to open a restaurant. She even had a name thought out, too… Rib Crib. “When I was a kid, I loved ribs for some reason. It’s what I wanted for every birthday,” she admitted.

On the menu? All of her favorite meals. That could be her mother’s recipes or the ones she has tried herself. So, no, Clark is not all about sports.

While fans might be counting down the days until she’s back in uniform, the 23-year-old is making sure she returns smarter, sharper, and even more prepared—using every moment off the court to build a better version of herself for when she’s back on it.