The WNBA has been missing Caitlin Clark. It has not been just Indiana Fever struggling to power through without their star point guard, but the league has a whole turned upside down because of her absence. USA Today reported that, according to Nielsen data, nationally televised WNBA viewership is down 55% since Clark was injured.

Now they will have a sigh of relief as Clark is back. Five games without more than half of their audience would have been a huge blow to their revenue generation and fan engagement. The team confirmed that she will take part in the marquee regular-season rematch against the New York Liberty. Now the WNBA has expressed its excitement for her much-anticipated return. 

WNBA captioned their graphic by writing, “The wait is over… Caitlin Clark is set to return to face the Eastern Conference’s top seed, New York Liberty, in Commissioner’s Cup action.”

Caitlin Clark was initially expected to miss four games after suffering a quadriceps strain, but ultimately sat out five, choosing to prioritize long-term health over a rushed return. She stated that coming back too soon simply “wouldn’t be worth it,” and after a careful recovery process, she now feels strong enough to rejoin the lineup. 

The last time that Clark missed a non-preseason game was Nov. 18, 2017, when she was still a sophomore in high school. Since then, she had played every game until she sat out in the preseason game against the Mystics, ending a 185-game streak. The Fever will be looking for her to quickly regain form and lead the charge once again. 

“When you’re out there playing and in the heat of the moment you don’t always realize everything, you don’t always see everything,” Clark said. “You see things from a different perspective that maybe the coaching staff didn’t see, so it’s certainly different. I’m trying to be that connector between my coaches and my teammates, whether that’s in the locker room at halftime, whether that’s during timeouts.”

Clark was pretty animated even on the bench, but she looked at what her team would be without her. Her creativity was the main thing that they missed, and Clark would have recognized that. As a player now, she has both perspectives, and that will help her improve further. Indiana struggled to find rhythm in her absence. The team went 2-3 with several performances falling well below expectations.

A particularly tough moment came when they suffered a loss to the Connecticut Sun, handing what was then the league’s worst team their first win of the season. During this stretch, Clark could only watch from the sidelines as her teammates tried, unsuccessfully at times, to replicate her unique blend of vision, scoring, and leadership.

Now, she returns to face the New York Liberty, the very team she was injured against, a matchup that brings a sense of unfinished business. The last time these teams met, Indiana came painfully close to pulling off an upset. Clark had the ball in the final seconds, poised for a potential game-winner, only to be denied by a critical steal from Natasha Cloud. That moment is likely still fresh in her mind, and it adds a compelling narrative to her return. She will undoubtedly be motivated to make a strong statement.

In preparation for her comeback, the Fever made some roster adjustments. They released Aari McDonald, who had been signed on an emergency basis during Clark’s absence. The team also welcomes back guard Sophie Cunningham, adding even more depth and experience to the rotation. With both Cunningham and Clark returning, Indiana suddenly looks reenergized and better equipped to challenge the reigning champion Liberty in what promises to be a thrilling rematch.

Caitlin Clark hopes to call Indiana home for life

The franchise is going through a tough stretch of games to start off the 2025 season. They seem to have fallen behind the expectations of the fans. Most of the analysts and fans expected them to dominate and blow off most of the teams, but it has not turned out that way. Many fans have already started doubting whether she would want to stay at Fever beyond her current contract. 

Clark has now professed that she wants to stay here as long as possible, which could be even her entire career. “Ty and I would both tell you this is where we both hope to stay the rest of our careers,” Clark told ESPN. “People are like, ‘It’s a small market.’ But no, that’s what makes it fun. These people, this is what means the world to them.”

Clark is under contract for three more years with the Fever after signing a four-year, $338,056 rookie deal last year. She has propelled the franchise to new heights after joining on and off the field. They qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 8 years last year and are on track for another qualification.

Since Caitlin Clark entered the WNBA, fans have shown up in droves to watch her play. From the moment she stepped onto the court, she has drawn massive crowds, with Indiana fans regularly packing Gainbridge Fieldhouse. More than 17,000 people have filled the arena for games, creating an atmosphere that feels more like an NBA playoff night than a typical WNBA regular season game.

Clark’s influence goes far beyond attendance. She has broken viewership records and driven unprecedented merchandise sales, quickly becoming not just the face of the Indiana Fever but a national sensation. Even when she was injured, she had to sign 10s of autographs as people wanted her to sign their Fever jerseys.  The level of support and admiration she has received is rare, something few players in WNBA history have experienced.

The bond forming between Clark and the Indiana fanbase is starting to feel like the beginning of a long-term relationship. WNBA icon Sue Bird spent her entire career with the Seattle Storm and became one of the greatest players of all time. While the eras are different, Clark has the potential to create a legacy of her own in Indiana.