“We might hold her another game.” These words aren’t pleasant for any Caitlin Clark fan to hear, especially from the Indiana HC Stephanie White. But sometimes, that’s just how it is with injuries. The Indiana Fever guard has been struggling with a groin injury for the last two weeks or so, and has missed five games because of it! From the Commissioner’s Cup final to missing the exciting Paige Bueckers vs CC matchup, a lot has gone wrong for Caitlin Clark recently.

And honestly? We were preparing for the worst-case scenario. After what White said about a minute restriction and the probability of CC sitting out another game, Fever fans weren’t expecting any good news soon. However, it seems like Lady Luck is smiling down on the All-Star captain, as positive developments have started pouring in.

According to @UnderdogWNBA on X, Stephanie White has all but confirmed Caitlin Clark’s availability for the Golden State Valkyries matchup on 8th July. “White: Caitlin Clark (groin) expected to be available to play Wednesday.” The tweet read. This report came a day after Chloe Peterson of the Indianapolis Star reported that CC finally took part in a 5-5 scrimmage on Monday.

And this game is quite special for Caitlin Clark because she’s finally going to be hooping against former Iowa teammate Kate Martin. The six-foot-tall point guard has been averaging about 7.4 points and 2.6 rebounds on around 35% from deep, carving out a role for herself in the Bay Area. While she’s not the budding superstar that her former teammate is, Martin has held down the court for the Valks really well.

While the matchup will be quite interesting and might explore dynamics we’ve never seen before with the two guards, all eyes are on Caitlin Clark’s return. But there have been rumors of restricted playing time, and a temporarily reduced role for the Indiana Fever star as she comes back on Wednesday. What does she think about it? Let’s find out!

What does Caitlin Clark have to say about her return to the court?

Time moves really slowly for Indiana fans when Caitlin Clark is on the bench. The six-foot-tall star point guard has been dealing with a lot of niggles this season, starting with a quad injury, and now tweaking her groin. It always feels weird not to see her compete. But we always talk about the impact her absence has on the team, or on the WNBA, but what does it feel like for CC?

In a post-practice media availability, Clark talked about the mental state she’s approaching this return with. “I think it’s just nice to get back out there and get into the flow of playing with my teammates again. It’s gonna be fun to get back out there hopefully.” She said. However, such frequent injuries mean that we might not see her in full blast. That didn’t seem to affect Clark, however. “I don’t know what type of minutes I’m gonna get, but just when I’m out there like compete and play hard.”

Playtime restrictions have been imposed on many great players in the past. Think back to Jordan’s ankle injury in his early days, and the 7-minute per half rule that Jerry Krause came up with. After all, letting stars play through injury will be a lot worse than letting them rest for a game, or two, or twenty. Since Caitlin Clark’s injury was not that severe, her PT won’t be drastically reduced. According to her, she might be seeing minutes in the range of “upper 20s.”

Moreover, the Indiana Fever star talked about just how difficult it is to sit out. “It’s been challenging mentally, staying in it.” She said. “I’m in here for hours and hours and hours tryna get my body right and do everything I can to put myself in a position that [I will] be available for the rest of the year. That’s certainly my goal, and I feel good about that.”

It will be interesting to see how the Indiana Fever team manages Caitlin Clark’s workload after a string of pesky injuries this season. Her overall health will go a long way in making or breaking Indiana’s post-season odds, and even a potential championship run. But the focus right now is on making sure that CC is healthy and ready for action!