Caitlin Clark will miss her fifth consecutive game as the Indiana Fever face the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night, June 10. Head coach Stephanie White confirmed Clark’s status following practice on Monday, June 9, stating that the guard is not yet cleared to return after suffering a left quadriceps strain during the Fever’s May 24 loss to the New York Liberty.
White confirmed that Clark has resumed limited practice but has not been cleared for full participation. The Fever plan to ramp up her activity gradually, prioritizing long-term recovery.
“We’re going to be smart, and we’re going to be cautious,” White said. “We’re going to play the long game and work her back in very intentionally.”
Clark has now missed five consecutive games due to the injury. She was evaluated over the weekend and took part in light shooting drills on Monday, but full-contact practice remains off-limits for now.
Clark’s Recovery Timeline Continues as Team Prioritizes Caution
Clark’s initial diagnosis called for at least a two-week recovery period. After the team’s 90-88 loss to New York, she underwent an MRI that revealed the quad strain. While Clark did not pinpoint the exact moment the injury occurred, she told reporters on June 5 that she began feeling pain postgame and decided to get checked out.
“Adrenaline covers up a lot of stuff when you’re in the heat of battle,” Clark said. “And after the game, I had some pain, and then we got an MRI, and that kind of gave me the result that I didn’t want to see.”
The Fever’s plan to bring her back gradually was reiterated by White. She said both Clark and fellow guard Sophie Cunningham were working to regain full basketball condition. Cunningham has been sidelined since May 30 with an ankle injury.
Caitlin Clark will not make her return tomorrow vs the Dream pic.twitter.com/vRYX9wf4Le
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) June 9, 2025
“It’s one thing to do some shooting drills. It’s another thing to get out there on the floor, get back into movement patterns, rhythm, timing,” White explained. “Both of them being out for long periods of time, you’ve got to work your way back into being game-ready.”
Clark did take part in open media portions of practice Monday, seen running for rebounds and shooting from long range. However, those drills didn’t involve contact or five-on-five gameplay.
Sophie Cunningham Remains Out as Fever Monitor Multiple Injuries
For her part, Cunningham participated in partial practice on Monday, but she has also not been cleared to return.
⏳ — Coach Stephanie White insists on a cautious recovery approach for Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham — which rules Caitlin out of her expected return against Atlanta Dream tomorrow, bringing to 5′ games she’s been out of the squad!
→Indiana Fever pic.twitter.com/Tjqb5mGgJg— Stephen ‡ Magyezi (@gyezi_) June 9, 2025
To fill roster gaps, Indiana used an emergency hardship exemption to sign Aari McDonald. The former Atlanta Dream guard has averaged 9.5 points and 3.5 assists across two games. She will be required to exit the roster once either Clark or Cunningham is cleared.
The Fever will enter Tuesday’s game with a 4-4 record, sitting seventh in the WNBA standings. Tip-off against the Dream is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Gateway Center Arena.