If there is one thing that has repeatedly threatened to derail the Indiana Fever’s pursuit of glory, it has been injuries. Under Stephanie White, the team has watched key players spend significant time on the sidelines, making every game a test of survival. So when Caitlin Clark was seen limping off the court in the dying seconds of the first half against the Dallas Wings, Fever fans had every reason to hold their breath. With concerns swirling around their superstar, Indiana has now delivered an update.

Ahead of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Dream, apart from Aliyah Boston being listed as probable, Clark was also listed on the report, but not because of the ankle injury. She has been listed as “probable” with her back issue, which should ease some of the concern among Fever fans.

The concern surrounding Clark’s ankle stemmed from a play just before halftime, with the Wings on the attack and less than 50 seconds left on the clock. As Clark stepped near Wings forward Alysha Clark, she appeared to lose her footing, with her left ankle twisting awkwardly.

She briefly grabbed her left knee as she tried to regain her balance before hopping in pain and attempting to get back into position. However, the discomfort was clearly bothering her. Clark eventually hobbled along the sideline before making her way down the tunnel.

With the Fever about to embark on a brutal road trip that will take them to the Atlanta Dream, Toronto Tempo, Dallas Wings, New York Liberty, and Chicago Sky, losing Clark would have made the challenge even tougher. Fortunately for Indiana, the 2024 Rookie of the Year was able to return to the court in the second half.

She took over after halftime, scoring 17 points in the third quarter to become the difference-maker for Indiana. She finished the night with a team high of 29 points and 10 assists, while shooting 61.1% from the field and 25.0% from beyond the arc in a strong display for the Indiana Fever as they beat the Dallas Wings 98-87. 

In doing so, Clark also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 700 career assists, accomplishing the feat in just 83 games, per a Fever release. And the milestones didn’t stop there.

According to Real App on X, Clark now holds the record for the most 25-point games in a single season by a point guard in WNBA history.

After the game, the three-time All-Star provided an encouraging update on the injury scare, saying she expects to be ready for the Fever’s next game.

“I haven’t seen the video,” Clark said during the postgame press conference. “I think I just landed on her foot. But I feel good, and obviously, I was moving perfectly fine. I’ll ice it and be good to go.”

However, with Caitlin Clark still listed as “probable” for a back issue after everything that happened, it will still be a cause for concern among some Fever fans.

Fever Likely To Continue Listing Clark As Probable

This is the 26th time this season that Clark has been listed as ‘probable,’ per Scott Agness’ post on X. While she has played through most of these injury concerns, the Fever have adopted a cautious approach in her usage and are likely to continue listing her as “probable” ahead of each game.

The issue first came up earlier in the season, ahead of a game against the Portland Fire, when Clark was ruled out with back soreness despite not previously appearing on the injury report. That led the WNBA to issue the Fever an official warning.

Since then, Clark has regularly appeared on the injury report, with head coach Stephanie White confirming that the Fever will continue taking this approach during a May 29 interview with Indy Star’s Chloe Peterson.

“I think the most important thing is, while we hope what happened last week doesn’t happen again. Just to make sure that there’s clarity and no issues with league policy,” White said.

She added, “I think that we will [list Clark as probable]. You can expect to see it probable going forward.”

The Indiana Fever have coped well when Caitlin Clark has missed game time this season, particularly as Kelsey Mitchell has taken most of that offensive load in her absence. Mitchell is averaging 24.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game this season and leads the team in scoring, even ahead of Clark.

But the Fever face a challenging stretch ahead, and having both Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston alongside Mitchell on the floor could be crucial to their chances of getting favorable results, especially in their next game.

Fever’s Atlanta Showdown Carries Major Importance

One could argue that Angel Reese’s infamous “you can’t see me” gesture toward Caitlin Clark during the 2023 NCAA championship game helped spark the massive growth in women’s basketball that followed.

The Reese-Clark rivalry quickly became must-see television, with their matchups consistently breaking viewership records.

But the upcoming clash between the Fever and the Atlanta Dream carries implications far beyond the so-called rivalry between Clark and Reese that has been heavily amplified by the media.

Indiana currently sit fourth in the standings, just 0.5 games ahead of Atlanta. With the playoff race so tightly packed, the tiebreaker between the Fever and Dream could ultimately determine which team enters the postseason with home-court advantage.

Right now, the Dream lead the season series 2-1 after dropping the opening matchup. Angel Reese has firmly established herself as Atlanta’s rebounding force, while Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray have shouldered much of the offensive burden.

It’s difficult to pick a clear favorite for this matchup, with both teams entering the game in identical form. The Fever and Dream have each gone 8-2 over their last 10 games, setting the stage for a closely contested battle.

But with just 10 regular-season games remaining for the Fever, fans could finally be on the verge of seeing Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark meet in the postseason for the first time.