Caitlin Clark’s Murky Timetable Deepens Hesitation Around Fever Star’s Latest Recovery Update

When Caitlin Clark left the TD Garden court in tears, clutching her groin, the initial update was that her injury was day-to-day. Eighteen games later, fans are still waiting for news on her return. “That’s the hope … I think that the long term viewpoint of her health and wellness is the most important thing,” said coach Stephanie White when asked if Clark would return during the regular season.

This pattern with Caitlin Clark’s injury has been all too familiar — fans are left with half-baked updates. For weeks, Coach White has been delivering the same cautious message, while Clark has been limited to shooting drills and has yet to return to full team training. With just four games remaining in the regular season and playoff hopes hanging in the balance, it’s not just fans who are frustrated — analysts are growing increasingly concerned as well.

In the latest episode of the Courtside Club, Rachel DeMita didn’t hold back in her criticism of the Fever. “I don’t know what else to call it at this point. I don’t know what’s going on. I’m so confused. Everyone’s so confused. But now everything that we’re hearing is that like she’s absolutely coming back. She’s coming back. She’s ramping up. She this and that. And then all of a sudden she has an ankle injury. But that had nothing to do with her timetable return, which how does an ankle injury when you’re ramping up not change your timetable for return?….It’s the reporting on it has been crazy. The fans don’t know what’s going on.”

A couple of weeks ago, a new update revealed that Clark had suffered a mild bone bruise in her right ankle, though sources quickly assured fans it wouldn’t affect her return timeline. But we have seen that a similar bone bruise kept Breanna Stewart out for 13 games earlier this season. So, at this point, there’s practically no clarity on when Clark will actually be back.

Now, of course, rushing Caitlin back isn’t an option for the Fever. We all remember what happened the last time she tried — she stumbled into a brutal shooting slump, hitting just 36.6% from the field and 27.9% from deep. And to top it off, she’s knocked down only two threes on the road all season.

So why is Clark traveling to every game with the team instead of staying back and focusing on her recovery like most players would? According to coach White, it’s to help CC “develop the coach’s perspective” and see the game through a different lens — something she believes will help Clark grow as a player. But after sitting out more than 25 games, watching from the sidelines, Rachel DeMita asked, “How many more sidelines does she need to be on to get the coach’s point of view?” 

Well, this brings us to the conspiracy theory DeMita dives into in her latest episode — and honestly, it kind of makes sense. “We’re getting into conspiracy theory territory, okay. Caitlin’s traveling because this is good for the economy of the WNBA. This is good for the Indiana Fever. This is good for the ratings.”

Everyone knows how important Caitlin is to the league. Since her arrival, national viewership has jumped 23% year over year, and attendance is highest in decades and up 26%. Sold-out arenas have also become the norm. So, not having the league’s biggest cash cow on the court was always going to hurt. And in the middle of a tense atmosphere between the WNBPA and the league, Caitlin knows exactly how much her presence means — not just to the Fever, but to the WNBA as a whole. She’s the ultimate needle mover.

Whatever the reason might be for the reporting to be this vague about her injury, one YouTuber has made a big claim that Clark’s injury has saved a teammate’s job.

Larry Rhodes believes Caitlin Clark’s injury saved Natasha Howard

Larry Rhodes, on his Black and White Sports channel, shared a bold take that if Caitlin Clark had stayed healthy all season, Natasha Howard might have been the one shown the door. “I have a sneaking suspicion that if Caitlin Clark would have played this whole season, Natasha Howard might already be off this team,” Rhodes said, adding that the forward’s season could have ended in a “DeWanna Bonner kind of meltdown.”

Now, this is a hard claim to get behind. Yes, Howard’s numbers aren’t eye-popping this season. She’s averaging 11.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists — technically her lowest output since 2018 if you exclude the COVID year. But her impact on the floor has been undeniable. She is the main reason the Fever have a trophy this season, delivering an MVP-level performance(well, she was technically the MVP) against the Lynx to secure the Commissioner’s Cup.

While the idea that Natasha Howard’s job would be in danger if CC were healthy feels far-fetched, fans are still waiting patiently for Clark’s return. The Fever’s recent loss to the Mercury has only made their playoff push tougher, with just three games left to play. What do you think? Will Clark make it back before the regular season wraps up? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.