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Prior to this season, Caitlin Clark had never missed a single WNBA or collegiate game.
Caitlin Clark will miss the rest of the WNBA season due to injuries, sidelining one of the Fever’s key players. Her absence marks a major loss for the team as it heads into the playoffs.
Clark has been dealing with several injuries this season, including a left quad strain, a left groin injury, a right groin injury, and a left ankle bone bruise. These injuries have limited her to just 13 games this season, and she has not played since July 15.
“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season. I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling,” she said in a post on social media.
Prior to this season, Clark had never missed a WNBA game or a collegiate game. Before playing with the Indiana Fever WNBA team, she played Division I basketball at the University of Iowa. She won Rookie of the Year in 2024 and was a contender for the WNBA MVP, finishing fourth in the league. Clark’s presence increased viewership and broke attendance and viewing records for the league. She set WNBA records for both full-season and single-game assists. She also led the Indiana Fever to the playoffs for the first time in eight years. In college, she broke a number of NCAA and Iowa basketball records, both for women’s basketball and basketball overall. She won 14 records and 46 awards in college, including having her number retired by Iowa.
Indiana Fever’s Coach Stephanie White also addressed the toll of Clark’s injuries, saying, “Just all the injuries that she’s had and the amount of work she’s put in to position herself to play and then to be able to ultimately make this decision, there’s disappointment…And the message has continued to be that her long-term health and wellness, and her being 100% when she’s ready to go, is the most important thing.”
Clark is not the only injured player on the Fever team; four of her teammates have also been sidelined for the rest of the season due to injuries. Aari McDonald has a foot injury, while Sydney Colson, Sophie Cunningham and Chloe Bibby are all dealing with knee injuries. The Indiana Fever is currently fighting with Golden State, Seattle and Los Angeles for the last remaining playoff spot.