The Indiana Fever remain in playoff contention, but their push for a championship is being tested by the continued absence of Caitlin Clark.
With only 12 games left in the regular season, the fifth-ranked Fever are still without their primary playmaker, who is sidelined for the third time this year due to injury.
ESPN had projected Clark‘s return for August 12, but that now appears unlikely. Fever beat reporter Scott Agness said Clark has been present at team practices but is not yet taking part in full sessions.
“She needs to be selfish, and I think is, in a good way,” Agness said. “That’s a positive for her – to take all the time she needs to feel comfortable with her body as well as with those injuries.”
Gradual progress, no set return date
Head coach Stephanie White confirmed that Clark has advanced to full-court running but remains “not into practice shape.”
The priority, she explained, is building her endurance and mobility before reintroducing her to game action.
Clark has missed 19 of Indiana’s 32 games this season due to three separate muscle injuries. Her latest setback came on July 15 against the Connecticut Sun, when she aggravated her injury in the closing moments of the Fever’s 85-77 win. Since then, Indiana has posted an 11-9 record without her, including a 6-2 stretch in recent weeks.
The team’s backcourt has been further depleted by season-ending injuries to guards Sydney Colson and Aari McDonald.
Short-term help, long-term challenge
To address the shortage, the Fever have signed veteran guard Odyssey Sims to a hardship contract. The 11-year WNBA veteran averaged 9.8 points and 3.5 assists in 12 games for the Los Angeles Sparks earlier this season before her release.
While Sims adds experience, hardship contracts are temporary – lasting only seven days with the possibility of two renewals – and players on these deals are ineligible for the postseason. Indiana currently has just nine active players and may need to add another short-term signing before Clark returns.
Former WNBA star Lisa Leslie, who battled a similar injury during her career, cautioned that recovery can be unpredictable. “One move, one change of direction and, boom, you’re right back feeling that same type of pain,” Leslie said, warning that Clark may have to manage discomfort even after returning to the court.
For now, the Fever will have to balance maintaining playoff form with ensuring their star guard’s recovery isn’t rushed.
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