WNBA legend Lisa Leslie fears Caitlin Clark’s lingering groin injury could haunt her for the rest of her career.
Speaking on CBS Sports’ We Need To Talk, the two-time WNBA champion reflected on her own 2006 groin strain and warned the Indiana Fever star that the pain can return at any moment.
“I think that injury is really tough because it lingers,” Leslie said. “No matter how much medicine you take, you can feel fine… but one move, one change of direction, and boom – you’re right back to feeling the same kind of pain. I don’t know that it ever really goes away. You just learn how to manage and play with it.”
Injuries have taken their toll on Fever
Clark, who first tweaked her left quad before suffering a bilateral groin strain, has now missed 21 straight games. Early estimates suggested she could return by mid-August, but uncertainty and speculation have only grown as the days pass.
Leslie’s prediction adds to the Fever’s woes. Indiana not only lost Clark for over a month, but also saw guards Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson suffer season-ending injuries just before the trade deadline, leaving the backcourt dangerously thin.
Managing the Fever roster won’t be easy
General manager Amber Cox and senior advisor Kelly Krauskopf scrambled to patch the roster, signing veterans Odyssey Sims and Kyra Lambert to hardship contracts. But with Lambert’s history of injuries and the eventual need to waive someone once Clark returns, Indiana faces tough roster decisions ahead.
For now, Clark’s comeback remains a mystery – and if Leslie is right, the Fever’s franchise player may never be fully free from the injury that’s derailed her season.
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