“I don’t think Caitlin Clark is coming back.” When Rachel DeMita made that prediction on her Courtside Club show, fans held out hope she was wrong. Those hopes grew when Clark was spotted at shootarounds, and even Coach White expressed optimism that her star might return before the season ended. But now, all those expectations have gone up in flames. “I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” came straight from Caitlin Clark’s mouth. After sitting out 19 consecutive games with a stubborn groin injury and making several failed comeback attempts, she finally had to call it off.

This was supposed to be the season where fans watched her rise to MVP form. And Clark certainly set the tone early, opening the year with a 20-point triple-double in the Fever’s 35-point blowout of her so-called “arch rival,” Angel Reese, and the Chicago Sky. But that led nowhere, as CC managed to suit up for only 12 more games.

A player who hadn’t missed a single game in four years at Iowa, or even in her rookie WNBA season in 2024, suddenly found herself battling three different injuries. Every time she tried to come back, she couldn’t last more than five games, and it showed. Her struggles were clear, with a dip in shooting efficiency from 41.7% to 36.7%

When Caitlin Clark walked off the TD Garden court in tears, Coach Stephanie White gave fans a little hope, calling it a “day-to-day” injury. Who knew that would be the last time we’d see her in action? As the weeks went by, the team finally admitted there was no specific return timeline. And once word of her bone bruise surfaced, analysts like Rachel DeMita and Terrika Foster-Brasby were convinced Clark wasn’t coming back this season.

This article explores why, despite the backlash over keeping Caitlin Clark’s injury updates private, the Indiana guard made the right choice by sitting out, following the example of other athletes who faced similar injuries.

Athletes Who’ve Been in Caitlin Clark’s Shoes

LeBron James

Christmas Day in 2018 was anything but merry for the Lakers when LeBron James took a slip, muttered that dreaded “pop,” and left fans holding their breath. Diagnosed with a groin strain, there was initial hope he’d bounce back quickly, as the injury was labeled as “day-to-day”. Instead, the recovery stretched on for more than five weeks, costing him 17 games, the longest break of his 16-year career then. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

“I had never been injured before like that,” James had said. “I wasn’t positive every day throughout this whole process: I probably had more negative moments personally than positive. There was times when I felt great and then a day or two later I didn’t feel so good. There were times when I thought I could come back faster and be back quicker than I came back now, but it just wasn’t reacting the right way.”

Devin Booker

Three years ago, on December 17, 2022, Devin Booker lit up the Pelicans with a 58-point masterpiece in a 118–114 home win. But that brilliance came at a cost. He developed groin soreness afterward, forcing him to miss the next three games. When he tried to return against the Nuggets, disaster struck again. Just five minutes in, he aggravated the same injury and was sidelined for more than a month, missing 21 games in total.

“That’s all I want right there, man,” Booker said upon his return. “Just competition, being back out there with the band, feeling that energy, feeling that presence”. And to tell you how persistent groin injuries can be – last year, Booker again left a game against the Pacers early in the second half after a left groin soreness.

Anthony Davis 

The blockbuster trade that had the basketball world buzzing saw the Mavericks send Luka Dončić to the Lakers for Anthony Davis. Fans were hyped to see these two potential Hall of Famers in their new jerseys. But things didn’t go as smoothly as planned for Anthony Davis, as he had to prematurely leave the court after feeling tightness in his groin and quadriceps in the game against the Houston Rockets.

“It wouldn’t loosen up and let go,” Davis said after dropping 24 points in his debut. “But it’s nothing serious.” Turns out, it was far from nothing. He ended up missing the next six weeks of basketball action.

Adam Wainwright 

Uncle Charlie was gearing up for the final season of his 18-year MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, before Opening Day, Wainwright was placed on the injured list after suffering a groin strain.

“That sucks a little bit, because I would have loved to pitch in front of the crowd on Opening Day for one more time,” Wainwright said. “My Opening Day will be a couple of weeks later. We’ll see when that is.” Well, in the end, his Opening Day came a month later, after he had missed the first 33 games.

Jon Gray

Just like Caitlin, the Texas Rangers right-handed pitcher faced significant challenges in 2024 due to recurring groin injuries. He dealt with multiple groin issues throughout the season and ultimately had his campaign ended in September because of a foot neuroma – a condition affecting the ball of the foot, making it feel as if you’re standing on a pebble inside your shoe. The groin strain alone kept him out of 33 games.

It got so frustrating at one point that Gray just wanted to play, no matter the position. “I don’t really care,” Gray admitted. “Not really. As long as I’m helping out, I really don’t care. I’m sure there will be something for me to do. We’re just going day by day, playing it by ear.”

Stephen Curry 

The greatest showman on earth has faced his fair share of injuries over the years, with groin issues being a recurring problem (well, not as much as the ankle). In November 2018, after the Warriors lost 111-134 to the Bucks, the result barely mattered. Everyone was more concerned as Curry had left the court early, leaving fans and teammates worried.

“I’m not nervous. I have nothing to go off of. If this was an ankle I could tell you four days, 12 days. But I will see tomorrow… I’ve honestly never done this before so I have nothing to go off of,” Curry said about his injury at the time. But when did he come back? Curry ended up missing the next 11 games before finally making his return, as the MRI revealed a moderate left groin strain.

Hunter Greene

In the first week of June this year, the Cincinnati Reds lost their ace pitcher, Hunter Greene, just five innings into a game against the Milwaukee Brewers. After undergoing an MRI, Greene revealed it wasn’t a serious injury. “It’s not as bad, but it still grabbed,” Greene said. “It’s not concerning, it’s frustrating. I want to be out there and compete.”

No brownie points for guessing, but Greene would go on to miss more than two weeks of baseball action. This pattern has been common with many of the injuries we’ve discussed. Initially, both the players and their teams think it’s minor, but the road to full recovery often takes far longer than expected.

These are just a few examples of players who have spent significant time sidelined due to groin injuries. So while fans may criticize the Fever and Coach White for how Caitlin Clark’s situation was handled, history shows that groin injuries are no joke. As Lisa Leslie put it, “That deep groin injury is nothing to play around with. It can feel like you’ve never had it. You make one move, one cut — boom — she’s back in the same spot. I don’t know that it’s worth risking it.” 

Giving Caitlin Clark the time to properly heal might have safeguarded her long-term career. Sometimes, what feels like a short-term setback can pay off in a much bigger way later, and in her case, for now, it’s a loss worth accepting. Wouldn’t you agree?