The Indiana Fever superstar, Caitlin Clark finally marks her return on the hardwood. Again. The reigning rookie had missing five straight games so far, owing to a left groin injury. While head coach Stephanie White is confident in Clark’s promising return to the active roster once again, the newest WNBA team have taken the recent game a notch higher for Clark & Co.

In simple words, high-octane drama ensued as the Indiana Fever locked heads with the Golden State Valkyries at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse today. And those already watching the game, you know exactly what I’m about to reveal. While the Valkyries have an upper hand in the ongoing third quarter, the opponents used their physicality against the 2024 ROTY.

Leading with 23 points against just 16 points of the Valkyries in the first quarter, Clark received an inbound pass from Makayla Timpson with just 1:50 minutes left. While Clark drove across the paint, her Valkyries opponent Tiffany Hayes, kept defending the star. And in a bid to attempt a steal, Hayes tried closing in on Clark. However, the Fever star shoved Hayes’ arm and lost her balance.

“It looks like Clark slips on the floor,” an ESPN broadcaster said during the game. As a result Caitlin Clark slipped on the floor. By the time teammates Makayla Timpson, Aari McDonald, and Lexi Hull rushed to her rescue, it was too late. But a visibly frustrated Clark already had an outstretched hand to pull the ball and placed it underneath her belly. Her quick thinking prevented Hayes and other opponents from stealing possession from the Fever guard.

Despite getting up on her feet after the whistle, Clark was caught engaging in a heated conversation. She angrily confronted one of the officials for their inability of handling the situation in a better manner. “I’m sure it’s the frustration,” another broadcaster pointed out. “She thought there was some kind of contact that led to her falling as well.” Besides, she kept hurling words against the refs as teammates pulled her away.

Well, inconsistencies and bad foul calls surrounding the official calls have become an integral identity of the league. In fact, several players, including Clark, have faced their share of officiating troubles this season. Moreover, while Indiana Fever took a time-out, even head coach Stephanie White would not have expected things to escalate to this degree.

However, the HC was sure that the opponents would have their eyes on Caitlin Clark. “If she’s in action off the ball or even if she’s spacing the floor off the ball, she’s going to open up things for everybody else when she has the ball in her hands,” Stephanie White had said a day before the matchup. And something similar happened. Clark did provide ample opportunities for her fellow starters and in turn, Clark thwarted any chance that the opponents were looking to grab.

Though averaging 18.2 points, 5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists for the locker room in 10 games so far, can Clark forgo this mishap and prevent the incident from affecting her performance? Or is it too late already? Currently at 42-54, it will be exciting to watch if Indiana Fever can overcome the poor second quarter and snatch a vin from under the Valkyries belt. While the newly expansion team on the league managed a solid 88-77 win against Indiana Fever in game one, can Clark & Co. find their rhythm again? Guess, we’ll have to keep an eye as the game progresses.

All-Star captain Caitlin Clark completes roster duties

Slated for a July 18-19 showdown, the 2025 WNBA All-Star event will be held for the first time in Indianapolis. In fact, as the league’s official sponsor, Nike had erected a life-size billboard at the JM Marriott a few weeks prior to the games. The billboard features Caitlin Clark, welcoming the All-Stars to her home city.

And in the recent developments surrounding the games, both All-Star captains, Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier picked out their rosters ahead of the mid-season exhibition event. The official Indiana Fever account took to Instagram and shared a photograph with a caption that read, “Captain Caitlin Clark reporting on duty.”

The post includes a picture of Clark as she poses with the All-Star draft board, featuring a list of final players for both teams. Team Clark includes starters Aliyah Boston, Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, Satou Sabally, and the captain herself. Moreover, the seven reserves include players Kelsey Mitchell, Gabby Williams, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Jackie Young and Kayla Thornton.

The All-Star games are a refresher from the regular season and give a chance for fans to engage with their women’s basketball favorites. Well, the fans chose their favorite athletes across teams, who compete for the title in a two day weekend annually. While fans comprise 50% of the votes, the next 50% is divided among players and media personnel who chose the appropriate players for the enthralling event replete with fun and engaging games.