Indiana Fever standout player Caitlin Clark is nearing a return to the hardwood after missing four games this season due to a left quadriceps injury. The Fever, currently with a record of 4-4, have managed to hold their own without her, splitting their last four contests, including a 27-point victory over the Chicago Sky last Saturday. Clark, who had never missed a game due to injury in her 139 college games at Iowa or her 46 WNBA games last season, was visibly engaged from the sidelines. She even gestured animatedly after a traveling call on Angel Reese. Clark’s potential comeback could be against the Atlanta Dream tomorrow. However, she is taking a cautious approach. She stated, “I’m not going to rush my return,” emphasizing the importance of being fully healthy to avoid further setbacks.
The Roots and Reach of the Clark-Reese Rivalry
Clark’s sign and reaction reminded fans of the long-standing rivalry between the two, dating back to their NCAA years at LSU and Iowa. Regarding this rivalry, Clark said after the altercation in the season opener, “You guys love it, that’s for sure. The rivalry is great for the sport. I get it. I grew up loving rivalries. I kind of get it. Rivalries are always great, so I think this one is more than anything.”
You may recall that the “rivalry” started in the 2023 National Championship game when LSU defeated Iowa, and Reese made the sign that she had won the championship ring after facing Clark. That has arguably been Reese’s most celebrated moment and the biggest game between the two. However, in subsequent games, Clark has beaten Reese in just about everything, including eliminating Reese in the Elite Eight round of the following March Madness and winning the rookie of the year award last season.
Since Reese’s win in 2023, their teams have played seven times, with six wins for Caitlin and only one for Reese. It’s clear that Clark is a much better player; Reese is only better at winning rebounds. In her short WNBA career, she has more rebounds than points, which is unusual for a player who is supposed to be the face of a franchise. I’m not saying that Reese is a bad player. I just don’t see any point of comparison between the two since they play different positions and it’s clear that Clark has the upper hand. Anyway they will face each other again on July 27 in Chicago.
The Road Ahead in the WNBA
As for the current season, it was known that Clark would miss the last game against the Sky the moment her injury was announced, which took some of the excitement out of the game. In the season opener, which drew 2.25 million viewers, marking the most-watched WNBA game in 23 years, both Clark and the Fever won by 35 points which included the tense moment between the two players over a common foul by Clark on Reese, which resulted in a feud that grew on social media and became the most viral moment of the season so far.
Chicago played terribly in their last game this weekend, with no player scoring more than eight points. I was wrong to predict a Chicago win. Besides Clark, the Fever had two other major absences: Sophie Cunningham and coach Stephanie White. I predicted a Chicago win because they had won two games in a row, but evidently, they didn’t take advantage of the absences.
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