The New York Liberty and Indiana Fever aren’t destined to meet at full strength, it seems! Their last encounter had Fever superstar Caitlin Clark suffering a left quad strain, and she hasn’t taken the court since, having quite an effect on the W. However, it’s not just the Fever this time around. New York seems to have luck just as bad as Indiana, as they head to Indianapolis for Saturday’s game against the Fever.

Injuries, while being an unavoidable part of sport, can completely derail the plans of any team in any league. The Indiana Fever had a rather cold start to the season, and are currently 4-5, a far cry from the contenders that people had hoped for. And even though the New York-led team has been nearly flawless, they recently encountered an issue that might cost them Saturday’s matchup.

Jonquel Jones, the Liberty’s six-foot-six center, got injured against the Mystics last week. She only managed to stay in the game for about 6 minutes before rolling her ankle. Her injury caused her to miss Tuesday’s game against Chicago, and we’re not sure if she’ll be back for Saturday’s clash either. According to reporter Myles Ehrlich, Jones did not reach practice on Thursday as of 12:30PM EST, but hasn’t been completely ruled out of the game so far.

Considering how both teams might be without vital players, it seems like this game might be quite evenly-matched. However, Jones’ loss didn’t seem to affect the New York Liberty all that much, however, as they dominated the Chicago Sky on Tuesday. In Jonquel Jones’ place was six-foot-five Nyara Sabally in her first career start, and she killed it!

We’re not sure whether Jonquel will be ready for the game, but her preparations do indicate quite an early return.

Jonquel Jones ramping up recovery ahead of game against Caitlin Clark 

Just ten minutes after Myles Ehrlich’s initial update, Jonquel Jones walked into the building, ready to practice. That’s the kind of mentality that separates the best from the rest–an innate desire to work, to hustle, and to compete. And with an MVP, multiple All-Stars, and a championship under her belt, Jones is part of the elite!

SI Writer Geoff Maglioccheti kept tabs on her activities during the team practice on Thursday. “Jonquel Jones is getting shots off with Wade and a couple of practice players on the other end of the floor while practice goes on. Seems to be fairly limber.” He said, and it seems to be good news for Liberty fans! Jones is currently averaging 13.9 points, 10 rebounds, and about 3 steals a game, justifying why she’s a game-changer.

The six-foot-six center even took some extra time after the session to work on her outside shot, which is quite a big part of her success! Her ability as a stretch-big, and the space that she creates is undefeated, and it gives the New York wings many more opportunities than usual.

Frankly, the defending champions look like they haven’t lost a step in the off-season. New York is currently 9-0, even with a former MVP ruled out for injury. Considering all the hype behind CC and her Indiana Fever, the home team will have a lot to prove on Saturday. If they’re able to win this game, with or without their superstar, and drag themselves up to .500, it could indicate a strong comeback on the horizon. Stay tuned for all the action.