Offense, three-pointers, and breaking her own records aren’t Caitlin Clark’s strongest suits. Her 139 games with Iowa and 46 with the Fever without missing a beat are no joke. Because everyone knows that CC doesn’t sit out a game. She just doesn’t. Not for sprains, eye pokes, harsh screens, double teams that feel personal, whistles that make no sense, or those brutal back-to-backs that test every ounce of one’s will. So, whether in Iowa black and gold or Indiana blue and red, you could always count on seeing No. 22 on the floor. Well, that is, until now. And the refs might need to watch their backs because fans are, in one word, angry. 

For the first time in 185 games—spanning her four iconic years at Iowa and her WNBA rookie run—Clark will miss a non-preseason game. Not for rest. Not for load management. But because something finally gave. And if you’ve been watching closely, the signs were always there. Just a few nights ago, Clark went 0-for-5 from three against the Dream. It was the first time since January 2022 (broke her 140-game streak) that she didn’t hit a single three in a game. That was a red flag, and for someone who thrives on long-range firepower, that kind of cold spell felt… off.

Then came the Fever’s tough home loss to the Liberty. A physical, down-to-the-wire, 90-88 game. And apparently, the breaking point. Enter Scott Agness, an Indiana Fever beat reporter with the update no Fever fan wanted: “While many are enjoying this holiday week, the Fever got some bad news following Saturday’s close home loss to the Liberty. Caitlin Clark—who’s never missed a college or pro game—is going to be out. At least a couple of weeks. She’ll be re-evaluated after sustaining a left quad strain. A slight tear in her quad.”

And just like that, the puzzle pieces start clicking. The missed threes. The labor drives. The dip in her trademark burst.
It wasn’t just a slump—it was a signal. In the beginning, many thought that this was related to the injury that had her sit out the preseason game. However, it was later clarified that the two are not related. Stephanie White also shared that while she is not sure how the injury came about, Clark did complain of an ache in her left leg right after the game. “I don’t know when it happened,” White said. “I know afterwards we got a message that she had something going on with her leg”.

Further investigation and an MRI revealed a new strain, not a flare-up as we said. The team hasn’t disclosed the grade of the strain, which could range from Grade 1 (mild) to Grade 3 (severe). But regardless of severity, the implications are clear: Clark will be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks, with re-evaluation set for June 9.

No timeline. No promises.

That said, a 2-week recovery window suggests it may not be as serious as initially feared. If the team is targeting June 9, there’s reason to believe it’s a manageable tear—something that likely won’t require surgery. So, hopefully, we can expect to see Clark courtside in a knee brace, with ice, compression, rest, and a lot of ibuprofen. But yeah, the streak is over. For the first time since high school, Caitlin Clark won’t be in uniform on game night. And fittingly, her next missed game comes against the Mystics—just like that preseason opener. Only this time, it counts.

But when was the last time this woman missed a non-preseason game, you might ask? She was just a high school sophomore then at Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines. She was sidelined and as her then-coach Kristin Meyer said, it “about killed” her to be stuck on the bench.

Now, all said above was enough to draw the ire of Fever fans, who began tracing it back to the refs of the Liberty game, saying that the refs did nothing to protect the player throughout the game. That part of this entire thing is debatable, however, there are other more important questions lingering in everyone’s head. 

How Long Will the Fever Be Without Caitlin Clark?

But let’s be clear on one thing: the Fever needs her. Badly.

Clark leads the league in assists at 9.3 per game. She bends defenses, draws doubles, and spaces the floor like few rookies ever have. With her on the court, Indiana boasts an offensive rating of 107.5. Without her? That plummets to 82.2.

The Fever are 2–2 heading into a critical stretch:

• May 29 at Washington
• May 31 vs. Connecticut
• June 3 vs. Washington
• June 7 at Chicago

In fact, Clark’s reevaluation date—June 9—comes two days after that highly anticipated 3rd showdown with Angel Reese and the Sky, making June 10 the earliest possible date. And everyone knows how important she is to the team and how focused White is on protecting her players, so, it could stretch beyond that. 

“When you think about Caitlin and her not wanting to miss games, she’s obviously a competitor and wants to play, obviously everyone wants to watch her play, you know?” Stephanie White told reporters on Monday. “But for me, it’s maintaining perspective, right? It’s making sure that we address this in a way that doesn’t affect long-term, that we take care of it.

So, White, for her part, is taking this as a challenge to showcase Indiana’s depth. “This is a test,” White said. A test of adaptability, of who rises when the star is out. She also sees this as a way for Clark to grow without over-exerting herself as she would be able to soak in the perspectives from the sideline. 

“As players you see [the game] in a micro viewpoint, and when you’re on the sideline and you’re watching it as a whole, you get to see it a different way from a macro viewpoint. I think it’s gonna give her a unique perspective, and she’s gonna come back better and it’s gonna help us be better.”

Hence, be ready to see a new-look Indiana with White’s experimental approach on full display.