The Indiana Fever walked away from Wednesday night’s 90-73 win over the Portland Fire. But they made a huge mistake before the game.
Less than two hours before tip-off, the team announced Caitlin Clark would not play due to a back injury, despite her name being completely absent from the injury report the day before. The WNBA took notice, and the league’s response has now been made official.
What Did the Fever Do Regarding the Caitlin Clark Situation?
According to IndyStar’s Chloe Peterson, the Indiana Fever have received a warning from the WNBA for failing to properly report Caitlin Clark’s injury status ahead of Wednesday’s game against Portland.
NEW: The Indiana Fever have received a warning for failure to report Caitlin Clarkâs injury status leading up to Wednesdayâs game, league sources tell me.
â Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 22, 2026
The league’s Player Participation Policy requires teams to disclose injury and availability information in a timely manner, and Indiana’s decision to hold Clark’s back issue off the report until two hours before tip-off fell short of that standard.
The warning is not a fine, and the Fever will not face any further disciplinary action related to this specific incident. But it puts the organization on notice that future violations will be treated with more serious consequences.
The Fever had listed no injuries for Wednesday’s matchup against the Fire on Tuesday, before announcing less than two hours before tip-off that Clark would be out with a back issue.
Head coach Stephanie White said Clark did not practice on Tuesday but instead received treatments and went through workouts after practice, only to wake up with stiffness and soreness on Wednesday morning. “It’s not the time to take a chance,” White said. “We just really want to be cautious.”
Reporters mentioned that the decision to hold Clark out was part of the Fever’s strategic plan for the 2026 season, given that Wednesday’s game against Portland was Indiana’s fourth in eight days.
The intent behind the decision was clearly health-focused, but the WNBA’s reporting requirements do not have an exception for load management, and the Fever’s communication timeline did not meet the league’s standard, regardless of the reasoning.
Clark is currently averaging a team-high 24.3 points and 9.0 assists per game through Indiana’s first four games, and is listed as probable for Friday night’s home game against the Golden State Valkyries.
The Fever is 3-2 and appears to have escaped the most serious potential consequences of the reporting violation.
