To say that the Indiana Fever’s success rests heavily on Caitlin Clark’s shoulders wouldn’t be far from the truth. But as it turns out, it’s not entirely dependent on her either. They proved that point was once again on Wednesday against the Portland Fire, where the Fever secured a comfortable 17-point victory without their superstar in uniform. And for Sophie Cunningham, games like this aren’t just wins — they are opportunities for growth, preparation, and a genuine test of the team’s depth and collective character.

Speaking before the game, Cunningham addressed Clark’s absence. “I think this is a great opportunity for everyone to step up. You know AB was out two games ago, and now you have CC. And those are a lot of points sitting out right now. But when you think of the big picture, you’re thinking playoff basketball. How can you get your bench to feel trusted and have those confidence-type plays? These are the games that allow them to have that. I think it’s a great opportunity. Portland, we’ve never played them before, new franchise here in the W. So I think it’s going to be a good test for us,” she said.

Caitlin Clark‘s absence was a late development. She wasn’t part of the lineup due to intense back stiffness and soreness that she woke up with on game day. But despite losing their most important offensive weapon on short notice, the Fever never really faced any trouble. They jumped to an early lead, controlled the tempo throughout, and kept the expansion Portland Fire at arm’s length throughout, closing it out with a 90-73 victory.

With that result, the Indiana Fever have now recorded an 18-13 record in games without Clark dating back to last season. That’s a win rate of approximately 58%, and that speaks volumes about the quality of the supporting cast surrounding Clark. And true to form, the players stepped up when called upon. Aliyah Boston led the way with 24 points, while Kelsey Mitchell added 21 and Lexie Hull chipped in with 16. That’s exactly the kind of collective effort Sophie Cunningham had pointed to before tip-off.

The blueprint for how this team functions without Clark is, of course, not new territory. Last season, Clark played just 13 games due to injury, and the supporting cast, Kelsey Mitchell in particular, filled the void in remarkable fashion. Mitchell, in fact, finished that campaign with a career-high average of 20.2 points per game, ranking third in the entire WNBA and leading all league guards in scoring. The team also made the WNBA semifinals and won the Commissioner’s Cup.

The natural question after that campaign would be, how much further this team can go with Clark healthy and available for the entirety of the season? Coach Stephanie White and the Fever are clearly determined to find out.

The decision to sit Clark out of the Portland game as a precautionary measure is part of a deliberate, careful approach to managing her health across a long season. And it is designed to ensure she is at full capacity when the games matter most. Definitely, if they can keep her healthy and available into the postseason, this Indiana Fever team has everything it needs to go further than they have ever gone before.

Stephanie White Insists Caitlin Clark Is “Healthy” Despite Back Issue Concerns

This is not the first time a back-related issue has surfaced around Caitlin Clark this season. During the Indiana Fever’s regular-season opener against the Dallas Wings, Clark actually had to leave the floor multiple times to have her back adjusted mid-game. She addressed it herself afterward, keeping her tone reassuring. “I needed to get my back adjusted. It gets out of line pretty quickly. But other than that, feel great,” she said.

With the same area now cited as the reason for her sitting out against Portland, it was inevitable that questions would begin to surface about whether there might be something more significant going on beneath the surface. But coach Stephanie White moved quickly to put those concerns to rest. “She’s healthy. We’re not managing anything. This is just a back issue that we want to make sure we give the time to be ready,” White said.

White also made clear that the decision to keep Clark out of the Portland game was less about the severity of the issue and more about the timing. With the regular season still in its early stages, there was simply no compelling reason to push Clark onto the floor with even a minor physical concern. “For us, it’s not the time to take a chance. We just really want to be cautious,” the coach explained. 

And of course, that logic is hard to argue with. If a player of Clark’s importance is ever going to play through physical discomfort, it should be in a high-stakes playoff game, not a May matchup against an expansion team.

Well, the Fever’s next game comes against the Golden State Valkyries on Saturday. With the back issue having been given the appropriate time to settle, all indications point toward Clark returning to the lineup.