Caitlin Clark should be dominating the WNBA in her second season. Instead, she’s watching from the sidelines as the Indiana Fever fight for playoff positioning without their superstar. After missing 28 games this season due to a persistent groin injury, Clark’s absence has become the biggest story in women’s basketball. Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Mercury will mark her 19th straight game on the bench, with no clear timeline for return.
Will Caitlin Clark Return Before the Playoffs End?
Clark has become one of the most popular female athletes of all time following a historic college career at Iowa. The first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft immediately lived up to the hype, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year Award. Clark entered the 2025 season on an improved Fever team that was looking to take the next step, with expectations that she would develop into one of the elite players in the league.
However, those plans have been derailed by injury. Clark’s groin once again will keep her out of Tuesday’s battle with the Phoenix Mercury.
In the 13 games Clark has been able to play, she’s averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 36.7% from the field, 27.9% from three, and 82.0% from the charity stripe. These numbers show she was still producing at a high level when healthy, making her extended absence even more frustrating for both the team and fans.
What Does Stephanie White Need to See From Clark?
Fever head coach Stephanie White told reporters she was hopeful that Clark would be able to participate in contact drills, but that has yet to happen. White has specific benchmarks she needs to see from Clark before clearing her for game action.
“I want to see her in practice, live in practice,” White said last week. “I want to see her to continue to work to not just build endurance, but to be able to handle contact 94 feet as it’s going to be in game, and to be able to do that and sustain from an endurance standpoint, and that’s going to take multiple practices to make sure that there’s no regression. As most of us know, when we get fatigued, we look different. [We need to see] how she plays through fatigue.”
Although Clark has gotten some work in, simulating an actual game does not seem to be part of that preparation yet. The coaching staff remains cautious about rushing her back too quickly.
Caitlin Clark has not done any practices with contact, Steph White said.
On if she’s coming back in the regular season: “That’s the hope … I think that the long term viewpoint of her health and wellness is the most important thing.”https://t.co/jax7bAL3Vx pic.twitter.com/R1PNAz7TQC
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) September 2, 2025
“No, she’s just been doing mostly shooting,” White said.
With the regular season coming to a close and the Fever gearing up for the postseason, the organization obviously hopes they can get Clark back on the court in time for the playoffs. The timeline remains uncertain, but the team isn’t giving up hope.
“That’s the hope,” White explained. “She’s working as hard as she can to make sure she is coming back or is capable of coming back. Again, I think that the long term viewpoint of her health and wellness is the most important thing.”
The Fever face a difficult balance between their immediate playoff aspirations and protecting their franchise player’s long-term health. While Clark’s career wellness remains the priority, both the team and fans are eager to see her return to the court sooner rather than later.
