“I don’t think Caitlin Clark is coming back,” Rachel DeMita said, blunt and unfiltered. And that did not seem far-fetched. Stephanie White’s diplomatic “The hope is that she’s back” isn’t exactly calming nerves, and fans are “done” already. Some are even openly in favor of shutting Clark down for the season. But amid all the frustration and speculation, one question lingers: is the Fever front office really at fault in this ongoing injury saga?

It’s well known by now that Clark never missed a single game due to injury in her entire basketball career before this year. Now, she has already sat out close to two-thirds of the Fever’s regular season games after suffering the groin injury during the July 15 win over the Connecticut Sun. Clark has been making some progress, trying to get back on the court. But then came another hit. Reports from August 20 revealed that she actually suffered a bone bruise on her ankle. Luckily, it hasn’t officially stalled her return yet, but we all know it’s not exactly helping either.

So amidst the hoping, waiting, and praying, it’s been easy to blame the front office. Remember, she missed the preseason opener with left quad tightness, then had a left quad strain that kept her out for two weeks. It was followed with two groin injuries. That doesn’t sit well when you’re talking about your franchise star.

Now analyst DeMita chimed in on her YouTube channel, saying straight up, “However, I do not understand what the Indiana Fever is doing.” She went on about covering the NBA long before the WNBA and how she often compares the two. But slowly, she’s realizing the leagues are different, even if some situations feel similar.

“And also, I’m quickly finding out like the front offices do not operate the same. The way that they treat their star players is not the same,” she said. “Say Caitlin Clark was a star franchise player on an NBA team and all of these things were happening to this team. I just don’t think that there’s any way in hell that they would bring her back for the end of the season.”

She highlighted especially at the time when their playoff and championship chances were slimmer than ever. She’s not wrong. There are plenty of NBA examples. Chris Bosh, back in 2016, got a blood clot in his leg. Despite being an All-Star, the Heat shut him down for the rest of the season to avoid bigger health risks. More recently, Joel Embiid faced recurring injuries during the 2024–2025 season and only played 19 games. The 76ers managed him cautiously because, well, health first.

And it’s not just DeMita saying this. WNBA analyst Ros Gold-Onwude made a similar point on an episode of The Good Follow show. She said, “It’s like every time [Clark] tries to do more, there’s a new injury. You might be playing with fire. Already, the season-ending injuries have mounted… and it’s all injuries to the guards. Like, I don’t even think the Fever really have enough depth at the guard position to support a Caitlin Clark comeback. Like, do you have enough bodies to support that?”

Because Fever have got bigger injury issues than just Clark. Sophie Cunningham (MCL tear), Sydney Colson (ACL tear), and Aari McDonald (broken foot) are all out for the season too. Basically, the gist of it is, while the Fever’s season has been honorable, maybe it’s time to look to the future. That’s exactly what DeMita was hinting at. But she also mentioned that maybe it comes from the mentality that the Fever just refuses to back down. They’ve got that never-give-up mentality. It showed in the Sun win that ended with White’s tears in the locker room. Maybe they were just savoring what could be their last hurrah.

But apart from the emotional POV, there’s also the business side of things. There’s no doubt, Clark brings the fans in. Even a tiny hope of her return keeps the arena sold out. If the Fever officially announces she’s done for the season, ticket sales might take a small hit. So, for now, the narrative is being stretched, but it doesn’t necessarily mean Clark will return immediately (or at all) unless the Fever make a playoff push. Nothing’s definite.

All we know is, it’s still a rough road ahead. Indiana has nine more games left in the regular season, three of which are against the Lynx. And they’re dealing with a depleted roster. Moreover, ESPN updates are just making the “Clark might not come back” theory feel stronger.

ESPN pushes Caitlin Clark return again

Indiana Fever fans know that feeling when you’re hanging onto hope… and it keeps getting moved. Everyone’s desperate for some positive news about when their star guard might finally step back on the court, but the updates have been, well… confusing.

ESPN’s Holly Rowe gave us a glimmer of hope on Sunday, August 3, reporting that Clark had started full-court, full-speed running. Then, during the August 12 broadcast of Fever vs. Dallas Wings, Ryan Ruocco added fuel to the fire with some insider-sounding commentary. “She [White] is hoping that Caitlin returns to practice next week, would need multiple days in practice before she then gets into a game,” Ruocco said. “But you see the way the schedule stacks up after that week, and wonder, could one of those games against Minnesota, or maybe the 26th at home against Seattle, be a potential return game.”

Well, it passed and Clark still hasn’t been back in practice. So, the August 26 return everyone was hoping for is pretty much off the table. And in the latest update, the ESPN previews now list her estimated return date as September 2, which coincides with the Fever facing the Phoenix Mercury on the road. It’s worth noting, though, Fever insider had made it clear that it’s not from the team. 

And, in reality, we’re all quietly thinking that’s probably going to slip too. It’s frustrating, because clarity from the front office feels… missing. Clark’s health should absolutely be the priority, but right now, it feels like there’s more narrative management than concrete answers.