For the second time this season, fans were denied a marquee matchup between two of the WNBA’s most talked-about players. Caitlin Clark was once again sidelined due to a lingering groin injury, leaving Paige Bueckers to take the floor without her high-profile counterpart. Their only clash in the W so far ended in Clark’s favor. She put on a show, racking up 14 points, a staggering 13 assists, and a career-high 5 steals. Out of those steals, three came off Bueckers herself, in a dominant performance that sealed the win.

But since that outing, Clark’s availability has become increasingly rare. In fact, she’s now missed more games than she’s played this season. That troubling trend has sparked questions across the WNBA community: Why isn’t Caitlin Clark playing? According to Fever head coach Stephanie White, the answer may lie beyond the medical room. She’s pointed fingers at WNBA management, subtly suggesting that league scheduling and player load expectations might be playing a role in Clark’s extended absence.

Following the win over the Wings, White shed light on the challenges of managing the WNBA’s grueling schedule. “It’s just the nature of the league,” White said in the postgame press conference. “We’re starting a West Coast swing, playing every other day, crossing two time zones tonight… as coaches, we have to be smart about how we handle that.”

White emphasized the importance of maintaining open communication with both the medical staff and the players. “Our job is to find the best of both worlds when we’re in the midst of these kinds of travel situations,” she explained. With teams averaging just 2.7 days between games, the compressed WNBA schedule is raising serious concerns. For Caitlin Clark, it might not just be about recovery; it’s also about sustainability. And for the league, it’s a growing red flag that could be keeping one of its biggest stars on the sidelines more often than fans would like.

Is the WNBA schedule taking a toll on stars like Caitlin Clark?

Since 2019, the WNBA has increased its regular season schedule by nearly 29 percent. They jumped from 34 games to 44 games in 2025. While this expansion reflects the league’s growth and rising popularity, it has also added significant physical strain on the players. In 2024, teams played 40 games across 116 days, averaging one game every 2.9 days. This season, that number has risen to 44 games in 118 days. This reduces the average rest window to just 2.7 days between games.

Such a tight turnaround leaves little time for recovery, especially for players dealing with injuries like Caitlin Clark. Unfortunately for the league, this surge in injuries comes at a critical juncture. The WNBA is preparing for major expansion, with two new franchises, the Toronto Tempo and the Portland Fire, set to join in 2026. By 2030, the league aims to grow to 18 teams, adding markets in Detroit, Cleveland, and Philadelphia.

As the league expands, ensuring player health becomes even more urgent. Without adequate recovery time built into the schedule, the growing injuries could pose serious risks to athletes’ longevity and the overall quality of competition. As for Caitlin Clark, there is no set timeline for her return. Her team Indiana Fever, is set to face the Seattle Storm on Sunday, August 3, in an away game.