Fever HC Makes Clear Admission on Playing Beyond Caitlin Clark as Star Misses 17th Straight Game

Caitlin Clark wasn’t in the lineup for Indiana in their game against Seattle, but she’s getting closer to a return. “She went through it yesterday… I want to see her in practice,” Stephanie White said, as Clark took part in a walkthrough to ramp back up. However, that was on Monday, now it’s Friday, and still, no official timeline for her return has been set. So, does that mean the Fever have to face an important game without CC? Well, they’ve been through it before, and they’re ready for another run.

Before taking up Sparks for the fourth time this season, Stephanie White was asked about the team’s adjustments with new point guards and the impact of CC’s absence. “I’m not sure how many teams we played, you know, multiple times without—she hasn’t played a whole lot this season, so it’s probably higher than most. But, you know, it is what it is; it’s a part of it,” the HC shared in the pregame press conference.

While it’s not an answer most of us would’ve expected as we’re eagerly awaiting her arrival, it’s true, though. The Indiana Fever sensation has been sidelined since July 15 due to a right groin injury, missing out on 17 consecutive games. This means she’s been limited to just 13 games so far, enough to average 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game. But while she’s the Fever’s offensive core, the squad has had to rely heavily on the likes of Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. They’ve played 17 games since CC got sidelined with a right groin injury, and have gone 9-8 during that run. While the score might not reflect dominance, their W5 streak at one point, with three of them against playoff teams, surely does.

And as White mentioned, “We have had some matchup challenges with LA, their length has affected us in a lot of different ways we’ve got to be better tonight than we’ve been throughout the course of the season against them, you know no matter who’s on the floor for us,” Fever’s current squad proved it too.

Despite sailing through the absence of Sophie, Sydney, Aari, and Chloe Bibby, Fever ended up with a crucial one-point win against LA. Thanks to Boston, who led with 22 points, 11 rebounds, along with her career-high six steals, and Sims’ 21 points against her former team. All this fueled Indy to a 21-18 record and one game ahead of Seattle, whom they defeated in the last game for sixth place in the standings.

LA, meanwhile, fell two games behind GSV for the final playoff spot. As White said, Fever proved it. But it won’t last long, as players signed on a hardship contract cannot play for the postseason. And the only hope then is Caitlin Clark! But will she return?

Caitlin Clark’s Hopeful Return Comes With Risk…

While CC’s been majorly out for the 2025 season, she’s still had a serious impact on Fever’s locker room. With her, Fever has a better 7.5 Net Points and an 8-5 record for the games she’s played. So, she’s going to be dominant once she’s back — exactly what Indy needs at the moment. And the silver lining is that she’s on the way to return, and Fever’s “hopeful” she’ll be back by the postseason.

“The experience throughout the year, trying to come back and come back quickly, has also taught her that she needs to make sure that she’s 100 per cent,” White said in the latest update about CC. “Yes, every competitor wants to play, but at the same time doing it the right way and making sure, after we’ve had a couple of setbacks, that we’re prioritizing her long-term health and wellness is the most important thing.”

We’ve already seen the consequences of the early return as she ended up re-aggravating her right groin injury. Something former WNBA star Lisa Leslie had already warned about. She shared her own experience of a 2006 groin injury and mentioned that the pain still lingers when she plays tennis. So, it’s important to get CC back to 100%. But with 5 games left for the postseason, Leslie again has some advice.

“She could provide an amazing boost, but again, I’m just gonna put my coach’s hat on, my GM hat on. You want to see Caitlin Clark for the longevity of her career,” Leslie said in the recent episode of CBS’s We Need to Talk. “I’m just thinking, me personally, I would not put Caitlin Clark back on the floor this season.”

Yes, the urge to play CC is hard to ignore. But according to Leslie, “deep groin injury is nothing to play around with,” as it could feel like she never had one, but just one move and she’d be back in the same spot. So, it makes sense she doesn’t feel like risking the face of the league for a playoff spot. But what do you think??