Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has now sat out four straight games after tweaking her left quad during that narrow 90–88 loss to the New York Liberty on May 24. The strain happened early on, though Clark admitted she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment it hit. Still, she pushed through and ended the night with 18 points and 10 assists.
The Fever initially ruled Clark out for at least two weeks. That timeline sets her earliest possible return for June 10, when Indiana faces the Atlanta Dream at 7:30 p.m. ET. While Clark confirmed there’s a possibility she’ll suit up for that matchup, she emphasized she won’t play until fully healthy.
“I’ve made a lot of progress … (but) I’m not going to rush back if it’s not worth it,” Clark said.
The second-year guard leads the WNBA in assists per game this season and remains one of the most valuable players in the league despite the time missed.
Caitlin Clark’s Injury Severity and Recovery Outlook
Clark is battling what’s believed to be a quadriceps strain, likely somewhere between a mild (Grade I) and moderate (Grade II) injury. Per the Physiotherapy and Sports Injuries Centre, a Grade I strain usually needs about two weeks to heal, give or take.
Clark said the injury is more serious than the minor quad issue she experienced in the preseason. After the Liberty game, she felt pain and underwent an MRI, which confirmed the strain.
Caitlin Clark gives an update on her injury:
“I’ll be re-evaluater after this weekend. Not gonna rush coming back, it’s just not worth it but after this weekend we’ll have a better idea of when I’ll return” pic.twitter.com/jUMrfxJGkY
— AK (@Sudharsan_AK10) June 5, 2025
“Adrenaline covers up a lot of stuff when you’re in the heat of battle,” she said on June 5. “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. But, you know, those types of things don’t lie.”
Clark also admitted the rehab process has tested her patience.
“I love practice. I love getting better,” she said. “I’ve never been a patient person my entire life, so this is definitely testing me a little bit.”
How Indiana Fever Performed Without Clark Against Chicago
Even without Clark, Indiana dominated the Chicago Sky in a 79-52 Commissioner’s Cup win on Saturday night. The Fever spread the scoring around, with four players hitting double digits. Aari McDonald brought energy off the bench, chipping in 12, while Kelsey Mitchell paced the squad with 17. Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard held it down in the paint as well.
The Indiana Fever had no trouble tonight on the road against the Chicago Sky 79-52 without Caitlin Clark (Both of Indiana’s wins have been decided by a combined 62 points against the Sky this season) pic.twitter.com/f73dsXS8Pb
— Lee Harvey (@MusikFan4Life) June 8, 2025
Indiana looked sharp on both ends of the floor, shooting 45.8% overall and a solid 40.7% from deep. The ball movement clicked, too, with 20 assists keeping the offense flowing. On defense, the Fever turned up the pressure, forcing 19 turnovers and locking Chicago down to just 32.1% shooting. When Courtney Vandersloot went out early with a knee injury, the momentum fully shifted, and Indiana wasted no time pulling away.
The win improved Indiana to 4-4, good for third place in the Eastern Conference. The team has now won three straight games against Chicago by 19 or more points and holds a 5-1 record over the Sky since Clark and Angel Reese entered the league.