Caitlin Clark’s Silence Is Among the Biggest WNBA Snags With 3 Games Left for Indiana Fever – Report

In Indiana Fever circles, conspiracy chatter is never more than a scroll away. While that is not limited to the Fever fandom, this season, it has been accentuated among them. The main reason: Caitlin Clark and her constant injury concerns. A lot of the time has been spent refreshing the Indiana Fever’s social media, hoping for some concrete news regarding her recovery. Each time, they are met with disappointment. As the season ticks to its final few games, the Caitlin Clark saga is not ending soon, bringing even more criticism from analysts. 

There is one thing that you have to credit the Fever front office with. They have handled the injury crisis rather well. Each of their in-season signings, from Aari McDonald to Aeriel Powers, has managed to compensate for the losses.  While that side of the game has been a success, the Clark situation continues to frustrate fans and critics alike. 

Robin Lundberg said on his YouTube channel, “I do think the ankle thing could have been handled better, communicated better, especially once it was out publicly. I do think there could be a little bit more transparency as to where things stand. I do think we could stand to hear from Caitlin Clark herself. You know, even if the statement would be the same, the source would matter. We haven’t heard from Caitlin Clark since the All-Star in an official capacity.”

While recovering from her right groin injury, Clark was met with another one in the form of a bone bruise. But the extent was up for discussion. Some online reports suggest that the injury did not affect her return timeline. “Sans ankle injury, she would still be out rehabbing her groin.” said one report. However, others have said the opposite, “Yes, the injury has impacted her availability.” 

When it comes to something official from the franchise, “There was no timeline or projected return to play, so it’s impossible to say if it was impacted,” a Fever spokesperson said in a statement. That is as vague as their other injury updates regarding Clark, and the most recent update was something similar. Clark appeared on “A Touch More” podcast with Sue Bird a month ago, where she explained how difficult the injuries have been. 

Clark had clarified that giving a definite timeline is not possible. “With the type of injuries that I’ve dealt with, like there’s no real….It’s not like six weeks, you’re coming back for the Connecticut Sun game on August 30th. It’s like, ‘How do you feel?’” Other than that interview, Clark has not spoken to the media during her long layoff, leaving the fans wanting. 

On that same matter, Robin Lundberg further admitted, “The situation is a little bit more complicated than people think or than it seems on the surface, where it’s this recovery that had a setback that requires basically building back up from scratch.”

There is a possibility that the Fever just doesn’t know whether she is coming back or not. They’re “hopeful,” but with three games left and only a maybe on the playoffs, there’s no guarantee she suits up again this season. The Fever will need to plan for the playoffs in the case she doesn’t return and possibly brace for a drop next year. 

Can the Fever Hunt a Deep Run Without Caitlin Clark?

This is a question the Indiana Fever were afraid would come up by the time the postseason rolls around. But dread it, run from it, it needs to be answered now with only three games left. The Fever have managed to pull through to the playoffs, currently have a 21-20 record with a .512 win percentage. That is especially considering their relatively easy schedule, with the Chicago Sky and Washington Mystics being the opponents in 2 out of the 3 games.

Considering they manage to defeat both the sub-.500 teams and lose to the table-topping Lynx, a 23-21 finish could be expected. With that record, they will either face the ESPN-predicted No.2 seed Atlanta Dream or the Minnesota Lynx from the top of the table in the playoffs. That will depend on how the Seattle Storm fare against the Liberty. Either way, without Caitlin Clark, defeating either will be difficult in a 3-game series. 

Odyssey Sims has eased into the point guard role and has been exceptional in her short time in Indiana, averaging 10.0 points and 3.9 assists per game. Her experience gives Fever some hope that she can continue that when the lights shine the brightest. Shey Peddy has been an able backup with 4.7 points and 1.7 assists. The hardship signing has carried this Fever side to the playoffs, but to make a deep run, both point guards would have to improve further. 

Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell have been racking up points and will likely continue that form. The question mark remains as to who will provide the X-factor against the best teams in the league. Sims has shown she can do that to an extent after her clutch performance against the Sparks. 

Aerial Powers is showing why she belongs on this roster, but can she step up against the MVP-level talent of Allisha Gray or Napheesa Collier? Lexie Hull will need to be in early-season form, when she was draining threes like her rent was due. If the whole group isn’t sharp, 2024 stays the benchmark, and one error invites a takeover.