Is there an end to Indiana’s injury woes? Or is the cycle doomed to repeat? These are the questions that the Indiana Fever front office has had to deal with this year. From DeWanna Bonner’s controversy to Caitlin Clark’s chronic strains and sprains, Kelly Krauskopf and Amber Cox have had a lot on their plate recently. But then, in the last three weeks, the Fever virtually lost their entire backcourt! Sydney Colson, Aari McDonald, and now Sophie Cunningham are gone for the rest of the season. As the clock is running down and the championship is getting closer, Krauskopf and Cox have to work their magic once again.

But how much can they do now? The talent in the free-agency pool, while vast, is not endless. Indiana has already signed Aari McDonald, Odyssey Sims, Kyra Lambert (who they just released), and Shey Peddy to fill the void in their backcourt. One more injury and they might end up running on empty for the rest of the year.

Even Sophie Cunningham, the injury curse’s latest victim, agreed that the situation is getting tougher for her team. On her podcast, Show Me Something, Cunningham reminded her co-host, West Wilson, about how finding replacements is getting a lot tougher. “We keep signing people, but we’re running out of people to sign. Because our whole roster is injured.” Credit where credit is due, the Indiana front office has truly been on top of every injury and every roster change.

Luckily, Caitlin Clark isn’t ruled out of the season just yet. Analysts and insiders are targeting the end of August as a potential return for the six-foot-tall point guard. However, some people also believe that she might not be as hurt as is being reported. Or, as West Wilson brought up, “Maybe Caitlin Clark is taking a couple of injury breaks just because she needed a mental break from all the jealousy, and resentment, and bullying, and cheap shots.”

Cunningham dismissed these rumors, telling her co-host that as a professional athlete, “not being able to play is the hardest part.” Obviously, an overactive imagination is a part of being a basketball fan. Remember the Michael Jordan suspension rumors in the mid-’90s? The fact that these rumors exist is a testament to just how big an impact Caitlin Clark has had on the league. But what exactly is the status of the Indiana Fever star? Can we expect to see her return anytime soon? Let’s find out!

Caitlin Clark’s Return is on the Horizon, According to Indiana Fever Teammate and HC

Indiana, for the last month, has been scrambling to fill a Caitlin Clark-sized void in their roster. They found a gem in Aari McDonald, who ended up getting injured, and more recently, Odyssey Sims. However, everyone’s still scratching their heads about Clark’s return, and honestly, why wouldn’t they? The Fever has gone through a lot without their star player, including drama, injuries, and hasty roster changes. With Cunningham’s injury, the team deserves some good news.

So, what’s the latest update about Caitlin Clark? Well, she’s still recovering, and she’s still on the mend. According to insiders, CC was supposed to rejoin practice between Aug 17 and Aug 22, a week off for the Fever. However, Stephanie White’s latest update has dispelled that hope for Indiana fans.

The Indiana Fever HC spoke to the media and was pretty candid with her update. “Until she can get into practice, and until you guys see her in practice, it’s really status quo, same as we have been.” Which is basically code for ‘I don’t know, but I’ll tell you when I find out.’ We know that the six-foot-tall guard has been struggling with a difficult injury to quantify. Sophie Cunningham even called it a day-to-day endeavor as CC’s most protective teammate revealed another reason, and update, for Clark’s absence.

Even though Cunningham doesn’t know exactly when her teammate will return, she did have an interesting point to bring up. “She’s close, but you also have to remember she could be playing if it wasn’t in the WNBA right now. But at this level, with how deep and how good people are nowadays in our league, which is the best it’s ever been, you can’t just be good.” Cunningham said on her podcast. “You have to be on top of your game.”

Getting Caitlin Clark back to game shape has been a priority for the Indiana Fever medical staff. That’s the entire reason we’ve not seen the star back on the court yet. Last time, Stephanie White reintroduced Clark through a minutes restriction, but that didn’t last long. And honestly? Better safe than sorry when we’re talking about a franchise–no, league-defining player.