The Indiana Fever and the entire WNBA dodged a bullet of sorts. A quad injury suffered Saturday, May 25, by Caitlin Clark, a player many view as the face of the league, should only keep her out a few weeks.
What impact has Clark had on the season?
That said, everyone is about to find out how big Clark’s impact has really been. It’s the first time in her career, college or pro, that she will miss time due to an injury –– a streak that lasted 185 games over five seasons. The Fever’s offense revolves around the second-year pro who was averaging 19 points per game and leading the WNBA in assists at 9.3 per game. Last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year led the Fever to the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons.
After taking the league by storm, life without Clark begins Wednesday, May 28, in Washington, D.C., when the Fever will have to lean on newly acquired veterans like DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Sydney Colson and Sophie Cunningham. The latter two on that list will share point guard duties in Clark’s absence.
“Clearly, we want her out there,” Cunningham said. “I think she draws so much attention, and she’s a phenomenal, phenomenal player. But at the same time, I think it’s a great time for her to learn from the sidelines. It’s a great opportunity for us to learn offense, right? Move the ball, pass, cut. We just can’t stand and watch anymore.”
Have the Indiana Fever played well so far?
No one could fault the Fever for doing just that the past few games, but it wasn’t going as planned. The Fever expect to compete for a championship, and at 2-2 have stumbled a bit out of the gate. Clark has not been at her best lately, scoring only 11 points against Atlanta on Thursday, May 22, and then 18 in a close loss Saturday, May 24, to the defending champion Liberty. She told the team about the injury after that game. Coach Stephanie White is spinning the upcoming absence in a positive light.
“Now she’s going to see it on the sideline, she’s going to be hearing us talk about it on the sideline from a coach’s perspective,” White said. “There’s varying levels to how you see the game as a player in year one, two, and as a player in year nine, 10, and as a coach and assistant coach and all those things. So, it gives her an opportunity to see it from a different lens.”
What effect will Clark’s absence have?
Because of Clark’s presence, league television ratings are at all-time highs and attendance in away cities is exponentially higher when Clark and the Fever come to town. Her expected two-week absence means she’ll miss four games –– two home and two away –– but when the injury was announced Monday, White emphasized they will not rush her back.
“Don’t over-push, don’t overexert,” White said. “Making sure that we take the long-game approach to this, so that we’re not having lingering issues throughout the course of the season. Sometimes great players don’t tell you when they’re hurting. I’m glad that she did, because we need to nip this in the bud.”
Her absence from the Fever’s offense will be immense if the stats so far are to be believed. In 140 minutes of action this season, the Fever have a 107.5 offensive rating. When Clark has not been on the court, the Fever’s offensive rating has plummeted to 82.2, which would rank last in the league.
Clark’s candidacy for league Most Valuable Player has also taken a hit. According to FanDuel and other sports books, Clark is no longer the MVP favorite. She trails Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, while Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson is moving up fast. Wilson was once +900 to win the award, now she’s at +650.
If Clark returns in two to three weeks, this could be just a blip on the radar, when all is said and done. If the injury lingers longer than a month or two, however, it’s not a stretch to say the 2025 WNBA season could lose a lot of its luster.
