“We’ve Been Scammed “: Fans Called Out the Confusing Signals Even Before Caitlin Clark’s Final Injury Update

Hopes were dangled and taken away. After a string of day-to-days, the excitement peaked days ago when Caitlin Clark was seen running with the team and participating in shootarounds. Stephanie White even fueled it further when she admitted, “That’s the hope [her return]. She’s working as hard as she can to make sure that she is coming back.” But with three games left, the Indiana Fever confirmed what the ambiguity had been brewing all along: The reigning ROTY is out for the season. However, when the team had a couple of more updates, the fans caught on to it even before the reports spelled it out.

Hours before the Indiana Fever announced the final update on their star guard, they had added a fourth player to the ‘out for the season’ list. After Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham, and Aari McDonald took their leave, Chloe Bibby followed with her knee injury. With the playoffs on their head, it’s not going to be easy to integrate another player into the squad, which is probably why Amber Cox and Kelly Krauskopf went for a familiar presence–Bree Hall.

After getting drafted 20th by the Indiana Fever this year, Hall was waived after the training camp and has been bouncing around the league on hardship contracts this season. In the one game she played with the Fever against the Brazil National Team, the rookie had put up 9 points and 4 rebounds. All factors excluded, the addition of the 2-time NCAA champion would have been a welcoming one. But fans couldn’t see past the uncertain Caitlin Clark updates.

Ever since the no.22 sat out the game before the All-Star weekend, Indiana has not been forthcoming about when Clark was going to return. The updates sounded almost similar each time — “yet to practice with contact.” The pattern already had fans and analysts speculating about things. One being, the delay in the updates was a marketing tactic to keep her fans on their toes, not losing their interest.

So with Bree Hall’s signing, though she is a forward replacement, it became a platform for fans to scream ‘confirmation’. And White’s update hadn’t helped either. “We’re gonna sit down today after practice today and hopefully have a direction soon,” the head coach said before they face Chicago. Now, fans are convinced the organization was stalling.

“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Caitlin Clark shared on Thursday evening. “I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling.” But that wouldn’t curb the fans’ strong sentiment against the franchise.

Fans call out Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever after confusing Caitlin Clark update

There’s an argument to be made about long-term health considerations over short-term gratification, but all fans needed was one firm decision. But Hall’s signing said it all, and the community was not taking it well.

“Caitlin’s not coming back bro. This confirms it. Otherwise we would need the roster spot for CC. We’ve been scammed by Steph, Kelly, and Amber once again,” a fan called it on X. Well, after revealing that Clark had been in practice for about a week, the next step would have meant roster integration. But when that did not come, the criticism was loud for leading the Fever fans on for weeks at a time.

But why would Indiana string along its fans? Everyone has a different theory. The most agreed-upon reason is to build anticipation and mitigate financial losses because of Clark’s absence. Just a reminder, Caitlin Clark was responsible for over 26.5% of all WNBA economic activity last year. Not to mention, the Indiana Fever star was set to generate more than $875M this year as well. So, when a player holds that much sway over the finances of the league, it definitely would’ve been in Indiana’s best interest to avoid ruling her out for as long as possible.

Some fans recognised what the Fever’s tactics were. “I guess we are just over 24 hours away from finding out if the Fever have been stringing all us fans on just to sell tickets,” another predicted. And well, with only 3 games left, the decision arrived earlier than presumed. It has been a hard one for Caitlin Clark, who has constantly expressed her “hunger” to get back on the court. But the stretch has only infuriated the fans.

“U dangled the CC carrot since All Star just to have season fizzle out like this?u shut her down & wont admit that’s what hap,” another alleged. With the Fever’s season going downhill, analysts like Rachel DeMita had expressed quite early that Clark just needed to sit the season out. But when that did not pan out, opinions like marketing tactics spun out: “There’s no question that the front office and everyone care more about marketing the basketball,” MikeTalksHoops had expressed. 

“So this seals the deal on CC coming back this year. Pack it up,” another noted. Hall’s addition may have got nothing to do with Clark considering their positions, but the Fever have had way too many signings without their star guard to infuriate fans. But the update for some wasn’t about the team’s clarity alone. With 5 players out for the season, the anger was directed as someone else: “Fire the trainer let’s get someone else.”

It indeed hasn’t been the year for Indiana. Credit where credit is due, Stephanie White has done her part in leading the team to a 21-19 record, an improvement from last season, and without her star players. Maybe it’s not the ‘championship season’ they had wanted it to be, but the head coach calls it a resilient team, and you bet they are going to keep fighting.