The opening day loss to the Dallas Wings could have been worse for the Indiana Fever. Caitlin Clark went to the locker room twice during the game. Yet, Clark shrugged off the injury concerns with a smile, saying that she was simply “getting her back adjusted,” noting that it can “get out of line pretty quickly,” but adding that, “other than that, it felt great.” Stephanie White echoed the same. Despite the calming statements, this analyst has expressed some concern regarding those exits.

Caitlin Clark was often unfit in 2025, playing only 13 games. More importantly, she had multiple soft tissue injuries that could be recurrent in nature. “I can still feel that injury linger. I don’t know if it ever goes away, you just learn to manage and play with it,” Lisa Leslie said. Holly Rowe and the broadcasters also speculated that Clark was receiving treatment on her groin in the locker room. Naturally, the concerns around Fever’s best player and floor general remain.

“We did see her going to the back multiple times, and it’s peculiar. It’s strange. I’m not going to sit here and spread a rumor that Caitlin Clark is injured because we just don’t know,” Rachel DeMita said on ‘Courtside Club.’ “However, I haven’t seen many players go to the back multiple times unless they are doing maintenance on an injury or on something that is actually bothering them.”

Caitlin Clark is the face of the league, according to many. And the star player making such moves raises questions everywhere. Another reason is the way the Indiana Fever dealt with Clark’s injury updates last season. The Fever were accused of prolonging Clark’s injury updates to keep hope alive among the fans.

While Fever insider Chloe Peterson refuted that online theory, not everyone was convinced. This history means the Fever remains under a microscope when it comes to Clark and her fitness. Uncertainty caused distrust last season, and it won’t be reversed easily. White remained confident at the latest practice media availability, reinforcing that it was a routine procedure.

“I know everybody’s focused on Caitlin Clark, but our other players are going back to get regular maintenance, too. It’s just something you’re going to consistently see,” White said.

And there is some research to back White and the Fever. A 2017 study found spinal manipulation increased cortical drive to upper- and lower-limb muscles. A 2018 review found moderate-quality evidence that manipulation reduces chronic LBP pain. So, there is no need to panic for the Fever fans.

However, injuries and Fever will continue being joined at the hip. Even if Clark is back, they still have Lexie Hull, Monique Billings, and Aliyah Boston recovering from various injuries. And White is hoping to have her regular rotation to full fitness.

Indiana Fever Awaiting Lexie Hull’s Full Return After Poor Perimeter Defense

The Dallas Wings game was an offense fest. Both teams played end-to-end basketball and just pushed on the accelerator. However, among all the points, one number stood out. The Dallas Wings shot a whopping 52% from the three-point line. On the other hand, the Fever shot only 29%, and it proved to be the differentiator. One of the reasons behind this was the minute restriction on Lexie Hull, among others.

“I think it was 10 to 15 minutes that Lexie Hull had. We don’t want to push it. We want to make sure we’re ready and healthy,” White said.

Hull was their best defender last year. She had multiple hustle plays and had a defensive rating of just 99.8. She played only 15 minutes against the Wings. The Fever need her back fully fit to cover their defensive woes. But beyond Hull, White revealed they still have multiple players in the recovery room.

“As our players get back, I think we have four or five players on minute restrictions. As we start to get back and really solidify our rotations, it will be helpful,” White further said.

Aliyah Boston is coming off a lower-body injury, and Cunningham is also returning from her MCL tear. The team will take some time to shake off that rust. However, the season goes by quickly, and White should make sure that they are aligned with their championship goals.