“No return to practice. She’s been able to get a little bit more in her full-court running with all of her body weight.” While Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White clarified the injury status of her star player recently, fans have been impatiently awaiting Caitlin Clark’s comeback. With even ESPN and WNBA game-day app dragged into the athlete’s speculative return, the locker room stays largely devoid of her sophomore presence. But for how long?

The Fever guard was sidelined mid-July owing to a right groin injury. The deteriorating condition during the final moments of the Connecticut Sun game has had a long-lasting impact on the athlete. Despite working closely with the medical team, is bringing Clark worth it at this point in the season? Well, national reporters have a different take on the issue.

On the latest episode of the Good Follow podcast, reporter Ros Gold-Onwude argued why Clark should not be integrated into the active roster. “What about all the injuries racking up for everybody? The schedule, the lack of time for for rest, for practice, you know? So, like you’re going to reintroduce Caitlin into that hopefully 100%. I don’t know. It doesn’t seem like it’s good for any of the players in the league right now,” Ros said.

Highlighting the WNBA’s scheduling menace this season, the reporter was quick to note that the back-to-back games have an adverse effect on players’ health. From Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart to Arike Ogunbowale and Angel Reese, injuries have not spared anyone this season. And the primary reason for the multitude of injuries to important players stems from this season’s jam-packed schedules and not enough practice time between two games.

So, re-integrating the star player of Indiana Fever back to the same routine would not be favorable for the team or the player. At least that’s what Ros feels. With barely a few games to go till September 11, the reporter strongly feels that the player should sit out instead and get adequate rest. After all, it will not be fair to Clark or the locker room, especially if her health falters during the crucial moments.

“Plus, think again. They’re down all of their point guards, really. So, the lack of depth at the point guard position is really important because she needs to rest when she does come back,” Ros asserted. “You brought Odyssey Sims in, but it’s not only that she rests that you could sub her out to sit on the court. There’s rest within the game.” While she pointed out that Clark will inevitably return before the season ends, the substitutes do not account for the rest needed by the team as a whole.

The national reporter further addressed Clark’s revised position in the paint before she succumbed to the right groin injury. And though playing off the ball brings about different forms of physical exertion that her body has not been previously used to, it can amplify Clark’s chances of getting injured. But as fans wait in anticipation for their favorite star to return on the hardwood, can Clark make it to the paint before the team hits it off in the playoffs? Guess we’ll have to wait and watch.

Caitlin Clark’s Injury Return Predictions Gone Wrong

When ESPN first speculated Caitlin Clark’s return on August 12, it came without any prior statements from Indiana Fever coaches and players alike. But the website did not budge until recently. But they were not the only ones to do so. As one of the most reliable applications, even the WNBA hopped on the trend ahead of the Fever-Wings game.

In fact national reporter Robert Lundberg pointed out at the errors in his recent podcast just hours before the game. “No one really expected Clark to play against the Wings. But there was that update on the WNBA app that confused people a little bit. You can see it here. It has Caitlin Clark listed as a game time decision,” he pointed out.

Surprisingly, the app had listed Clark on a game-time-decision (GTD) instead of Out despite head coach Stephanie White’s clear statement on Clark’s recent progress and inability to perform during the practice sessions. The reporter also hinted at ESPN’s misleading deadline being the probable cause of the error.

“If I had to guess, you know, that ESPN estimate of August 12 as her return and the fact that there had been no official status updates from the team since, put it up in the air,” he stated. And boy is he right! These timelines confused fans to a great degree, especially a few hours before the tipoff. Add Paige Bueckers’ questionable status to the mix, and it was a sure shot recipe to make fans go into a frenzy.

With a shocking one-point deficit loss against the last standing team in the Western Conference division, can Indiana Fever return from the loss or keep drowning without Caitlin Clark? With the season nearing playoffs with each passing day, the locker room can no longer afford a loss under its belt.