“That’s the hope. The hope is that she’s back.” Stephanie White’s words captured the desperation of an Indiana Fever team running out of time. Their playoff road gets narrower by the day, derailed first by Caitlin Clark’s injuries. The health issues sidelined her permanently after her 13th game where she was averaging 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists.

Now, Sophie Cunningham’s season-ending knee injury has stripped the Fever of another vital guard. With a thin backcourt and lack of offensive engine, White and the locker room cling to one hope: that Clark returns in time to rescue a season barely hanging by a thread.

According to national reporters Sabreena Merchant and Zena Keita, Caitlin Clark’s re-entry in the active roster would pose another threat to her health and the roster in general. “We heard a report that Caitlin Clark is supposed to come back to practice during the Fever’s week off,” Merchant said. In the latest episode of the No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show podcast, the reporter and co-host discussed regarding Clark’s potential return to the Indiana Fever locker room.

“So, how that goes if she can potentially return to play soon after that? But there’s a lot of holes that need filling on the Indiana Fever,” Merchant added. “And it’s one thing to come back from 21 points down against the Connecticut Sun, who have the worst record in the WNBA, it’s quite another thing as the schedule again picks up.” While the point guard has recovered enough to join her teammates at practice, can she recover against the strict scheduling?

The league has done little to improve the timetable despite several players and head coaches condemning the tight WNBA schedules this season. The back-to-back games or on-road matches provide little to no rest for the athletes, thereby directly affecting their health. No wonder players from Napheesa Collier and Kayla Thornton to Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers have suffered major injuries this season.

If Clark returns to the active roster, the designed schedule would again impose an adverse impact on her health. And the roster can no longer afford any compromise to Clark’s health at this juncture, since they will be facing teams like the Minnesota Lynx, Phoenix Mercury, and Seattle Storm, among others. But scheduling isn’t the only thing that the Fever should be concerned with.

“As much as I believe in Kelsey Mitchell’s ability to hit buzzer beaters in overtime, there is going to be some taller guards, some bigger guards, some more thought-out schemes to ensure that a scorer like Kelsey Mitchell does not get those opportunities,” Zena Keita pitched in. While Mitchell is a natural scorer, the opponents will focus on pulling the stops at the athlete. Especially after a phenomenal 38-point comeback in what looked like a losing game for the Fever.

As the leading player in points for the franchise and now the WNBA Player of the Week, Mitchell’s immediate rise to the spotlight can prove dangerous in the long run, as other teams target the athlete in the upcoming games. “So, I can imagine that things are going to just be a little bit more difficult in that back court for the Fever,” Keita added. “They’ve gone through it this season for sure.”

After undergoing physicality and aggressive gameplay from other teams, officiating troubles and on-court altercations and fines, the Indiana Fever has been through it all. But as the season comes to a close, can the Fever clinch a playoffs spot with their head held high? While Clark’s return is laced with danger and newcomers filling empty roster spots, can hardship contract players like Odyssey Sims and Shey Peddy fulfil HC White’s aspirations for a good playoff push?

The Indiana Fever Sign Another Hardship Contract

A few hours after terminating player Kyra Lambert’s hardship contract on Tuesday, the Indiana Fever shared an update surrounding Sophie Cunningham’s knee injury. According to the update, Cunningham has been ruled out of the season. As another original athlete sits out the season and Lambert part ways with the roster, the franchise had no choice but to sign another hardship contract.

Fever had signed Lambert on a seven-day hardship contract just before the game against the Connecticut Sun. Unfortunately, her hardship contract was prematurely cancelled, citing no bad blood between the two parties. In fact, Lambert failed to prove her skills against the Sun as she was denied playing against a highly physical team. But on the contrary, Odyssey Sims teamed up with Kelsey Mitchell to outrun the opponents with a whopping 99-93 win.

But in the midst of the unexpected injury scare, the franchise decided to sign Shey Peddy to a hardship contract. Known for her defensive prowess and versatility, Peddy is a seasoned veteran and used to the demands of a hardship contract. Prior to signing a seven-day deal with the Fever, Shey played for the Los Angeles Sparks earlier this season. She had averaged 5 points, 3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 23 minutes per game.

With Shey Peddy and Odyssey Sims in the revamped roster, can the two team up with Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston to help Fever climb out of its miseries and into the playoffs? As the playoffs race becomes difficult with each passing day, can the 6th standing team in the league secure a spot in top 8? Only time will tell.