The Indiana Fever announced some positive news about Caitlin Clark on Thursday. The star guard underwent medical evaluations earlier this week, which revealed “no additional injuries or damage.”
Clark’s recent right groin injury, which she sustained on July 15 in a game against the Connecticut Sun, is the third different injury that has caused her to miss time this season. She’s missed five games on two separate occasions this year, first due to a left quad strain and then because of a left groin injury.
However, the Fever also announced there is no timetable for the return of Clark, who has missed 11 of the team’s 24 games this year. The team’s statement said they will prioritize her “long-term health and well-being.”
Clark’s absence is a blow to the Fever’s playoff hopes. At 12–12, Indiana holds a one-game lead over the ninth-seed Golden State Valkyries. However, the Fever are 4–7 without Clark in the lineup.
Her absence is also a tough break for the Chicago Sky and Dallas Wings, both of whom have home games against the Fever coming up that were moved to larger arenas to accommodate fans hoping to catch Clark in action. Chicago moved its game to the United Center, home of the NBA’s Bulls and NHL’s Blackhawks, while the Wings moved their game to American Airlines Center, home of the NBA’s Mavericks and NHL’s Stars.
Here are the scheduled games:
- Fever at Sky: July 27
- Fever at Wings: Aug. 1
It’s the second game of the 2025 WNBA season that Chicago and Dallas moved to bigger arenas. Clark missed the first game in both cities due to injury. Both teams still sold out those games, though ticket prices were negatively affected by the star guard’s absence.
There is only one more Fever game remaining this season moved to an arena with a larger capacity than the home team’s usual location. However, the Washington Mystics host the Fever on Sept. 7 at CFG Bank Arena. The game is in six weeks and is Indiana’s second-to-last game of the season.
The two teams played at the same venue on May 28, and Clark also missed the contest due to injury. The Mystics still announced a sellout crowd of 11,183.
Viewership Dip?
Clark’s injury is also a blow to networks as she continues to prove she’s the league’s biggest ratings draw. Sunday’s game against the Sky will air on ABC, and the two teams have faced off in the three most-watched WNBA regular-season games since Clark and Sky star Angel Reese were drafted.
Next Friday’s game against the Wings will air on Ion, and the Fever’s game against the Atlanta Dream on July 11 was the most-watched game on the network this season with 1.5 million viewers.
