“This league’s schedule is unforgiving. It’s relentless. And when you’re already dealing with injuries, it doesn’t give you a second to breathe,” Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White lamented earlier this month. While she blatantly outlined the reality of her locker room, the WNBA season unfurled some of the most glaring health concerns, as injuries sliced through rosters like a pandemic and robbed fans of some of the game’s brightest stars.

While most players managed to return to their teams, the Indiana Fever have been hit harder than most. The downfall started when Caitlin Clark became the first Fever player to sustain multiple injuries this season. From there, the locker room began to spiral. Players Sophie Cunningham, Sydney Colson, and Aari McDonald are ruled out for the remainder of the year. The result? A roster gasping for air as the playoff race intensifies.

This growing concern took center stage in the latest episode of No Offseason: The Athletic Women’s Basketball Show, where host Zena Keita addressed Clark’s prolonged absence. “I want to talk about someone that we haven’t spoken about in some time, although she is always hovering in the background when it comes to the WNBA talks,” Keita began. “And that is Caitlin Clark. She has now missed 15 straight games. We saw Napheesa Collier come back. We are very excited about things like that. We’ve seen Rhyne Howard come back. We’ve seen big names come back in the mix, but Caitlin Clark is one who is just not available at the moment. So, what’s the update there?”

Stars have been battling their way back across the league. Rhyne Howard, after being replaced by Kayla McBride due to a left knee injury, returned to the court within a month. Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, sidelined on August 2 with a right ankle sprain, missed only seven games over a 22-day stretch before erupting for 32 points in her comeback against the Fever on August 24. For fans, Collier’s triumphant return was a ray of hope. But for the Fever fans, the return begged for a bigger question: Will Caitlin Clark ever touch the hardwood again this season?

Needless to say, co-host Sabreena Merchant did not sugarcoat the reality. “According to Steph White and all of the availability that came out of practice last week, Caitlin has not been practicing,” Merchant revealed. “So, the first step has not yet been taken. Obviously, the Fever is dealing with a ton of injuries. You’ve got (Aari) McDonald, Sydney Colson, and Sophie Cunningham out for the season. Odyssey Sims had a brief groin thing that pulled her out of Friday’s game. She ended up coming back to play Sunday against Minnesota in that second half of the set. But it doesn’t appear that the first step towards a return to play has happened yet. So, we’re still just in a waiting period here with the Fever.”

This prolonged waiting period is gradually turning into a nightmare for the Indiana Fever. As a spectacular three-point shooter from the deep, Clark’s absence is gnawing away at the roster’s obvious chances of clinching a spot in the playoffs. Despite promises of Clark’s active involvement in practice during a recent week-long break, White was left empty-handed as the star guard’s progress was abruptly stalled. A stubborn right groin injury, followed by a fresh bone bruise, has shattered the locker room’s hopes of salvaging this season anytime soon. And as Merchant rightly pointed out, Clark’s absence isn’t just a personal setback; it is an organizational crisis.

With the Fever clinging to their postseason aspirations, the front office made a desperate move, extending veteran Shey Peddy’s hardship contract to fill the holes. Unfortunately, the math is no longer in Indiana’s favor. “Like I said, 22 wins probably to make the playoffs,” she noted. “I’ve got a piece out on the site Monday about Indiana’s path to the postseason. Like it’s a lot more challenging, you know, without Caitlin because they just don’t have a margin for error, right?“At 20-18 and sitting outside the top eight, Indiana now faces a stretch of must-win games without their centerpiece.

For a team that once envisioned Caitlin Clark to lead them into the playoffs, they are still coming to terms with the stark reality that the Fever now needs to fight tooth and nail to stay afloat in the long run. And in a season defined by relentless injuries and an unforgiving schedule, the question isn’t just whether Clark will return. It is whether the Fever can truly survive without her.

Caitlin Clark commands attention from the sidelines

Despite being benched after an array of injuries marred her sophomore run this season, Caitlin Clark is in the spotlight once again. Just a few hours after launching her signature “CC” logo, the Fever guard added a zest to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse courtside in her latest outfit, ahead of the Indiana Fever and Seattle Storm showdown.

Dressed in a Nike outfit, Clark flaunted her custom logo on the belt, zipper, and a customised necklace. The Indiana Fever shared her fit on social media, where Clark could be seen in dark grey and silver flared pants with a sleek chain-styled belt around her waist. She was also wearing a black crop-top with a Nike logo and a custom CC zipper and tied the look with a logo pendant, black shades, and a watch. But this is not the first time that Clark has turned heads from the sidelines.

After all, it was Caitlin’s night, with a life-size poster just outside the Indianapolis arena and several other posters highlighting her signature Nike logo with the tagline, “Caitlin Clark was here.” And the franchise made her launch extremely special. They even awarded every fan with a t-shirt that read, “Caitlin was here and so were you,” before announcing a pregame party, open to the public, to celebrate the launch.

While the Indiana Fever clinched a 95-75 win against the Seattle Storm, can they keep accomplishing consecutive victories? With a lack of true floor general in the paint and a hollow backcourt presence, can the team navigate through the roughest part of the season and claw their way into the playoffs? With Clark’s return still a far-fetched reality for the roster, the team needs to rely on veterans Kelsey Mitchell and hardship signees Odyssey Sims and Shey Peddy to rally them towards an aspirational win.