Caitlin Clark reached out to the Iowa Hawkeyes‘ guard, Taylor McCabe, after the NCAA star suffered a torn ACL – demonstrating her respect and leadership, as the team navigates a difficult moment early in their 2026 season.
McCabe went down in the opening minute of Sunday’s 91-70 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes; and an MRI confirmed she tore her left ACL, ending her season, leaving Iowa without its fourth-leading scorer at a crucial stage in the Big Ten schedule.
Clark, who played with McCabe at Iowa in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, praised her former teammate publicly.
On Instagram, Clark commented, “Legend, lot to be proud of,” and also reshared McCabe‘s original post on her story, in a show of support from the Indiana Fever icon, who still watches her former college team.
“This isn’t how I imagined my senior season ending,” McCabe said, acknowledging the setback. “But adversity has always been part of the game.
“I’m committed to my recovery and to supporting my teammates in every way I can the rest of this season.
“I’m grateful for the love and encouragement from my coaches, teammates, and everyone who has been with me throughout this journey at the University of Iowa.”
Her absence is a significant blow for the 18-2 Hawkeyes, who had developed into a top contender even after losing Clark to the WNBA draft two seasons ago, and McCabe‘s 8.1 points per game will be difficult to replace in the lineup.
Clark‘s gesture illustrates her ongoing connection to her former program, even as she focuses on her professional career in Indiana, showing that leadership and mentorship can extend beyond the college court.
Indiana Fever confirm WNBA preseason schedule
Clark is preparing for her third WNBA season with the Indiana Fever following an injury-shortened 2025 campaign, which saw multiple setbacks – including a left quadriceps strain in May, a left groin issue, and a right groin injury.
Those two issues ultimately ended her season but despite appearing in only 13 games, she averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per contest, demonstrating her impact and importance to the Fever.
Meanwhile, the team prioritized her long-term health to ensure full recovery before 2026 as they made it all of the way to the WNBA Semi-Finals.
And on Monday, January 26, fans got an update for when they might next see the star on the court as Indiana announced its preseason schedule, giving Clark an early chance to regain game shape.
The Fever will open on April 25 at New York Liberty, followed by a home exhibition against the Dallas Wings on April 30 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as these two preseason games allow the Fever to assess roster depth.
They will also reintegrate Clark into competitive action, and start building chemistry ahead of the full 44-game regular season, which opens on May 9 at home versus Dallas, tipoff at 13:00 ET/10:00 PT.
The preseason and regular season schedule reflects the league’s expanded format, and Clark‘s leadership and skill will be central to Indiana‘s ambitions, providing both scoring and playmaking while mentoring younger teammates on and off the floor.
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