After a sophomore season derailed by injuries, Caitlin Clark is preparing for a long offseason that she hopes will set the stage for a full-strength return in 2026.
Clark’s second campaign in the league was cut to just 13 appearances, each setback coming from soft-tissue issues that never fully healed. By the time the next season begins in May, she will have gone nearly 10 months without competitive action if she remains sidelined through the winter.
Fever head coach Stephanie White addressed the plan for her star guard when speaking with reporters on October 2.
“I think first and foremost, she builds up her endurance, her on the court activity. Making sure that she’s healthy. And then, continuing to move forward in terms of mechanics, number one, and number two, basketball,” White explained.
“She’s got to, at some point in this offseason, play five-on-five. It’s going to have been a long time since she has. And so how we get that together, we’ll have to see.”
Recovery before competition
Clark herself echoed that message in her first media availability in months. She admitted she might only take a week away from basketball before resuming light work, but emphasized that the offseason is about restoring her body.
“I mean, probably take a little bit of a break here. Just for, maybe a week,” Clark said with a grin. “I don’t really want to lose a ton of the stuff I’ve worked on. Just trying to get my body back to full health.
“There’s some USA Basketball stuff I need to get ready for. And I need to be able to find some runs, and ways to play five-on-five, just so I can kind of get that feel back. But more than anything, I think my main focus is really just getting my body healthy. And once we get back to five-on-five, just being able to test my body and making sure it’s in a good spot, where I know it’s gonna be able to hold up with everything that we think we’ve corrected to be able to know I’m in a really good spot there.”
Her words seemed to shut down speculation about an appearance in Unrivaled, the three-on-three league co-founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. For now, Clark and her coaches are aligned that five-on-five is the priority.
Building confidence and looking ahead
The injuries have been a new hurdle for Clark, who had rarely missed time during her college career or rookie WNBA season. She admitted that regaining confidence in her body is just as important as the physical recovery.
“So that’s probably going to be my main focus, is just feeling 100% again, and having that confidence in my body, too,” she said.
When asked to expand, she left the door open for different opportunities but made clear where her attention is directed.
“I think you explore every opportunity,” she noted. “I haven’t made any decisions, and I don’t know what that’s necessarily gonna look like for me. Like I said, there’s some USA Basketball stuff that is probably my top priority right now, that I need to prepare for. And I think that will help me prepare for next season, too.”
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