Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark once again found herself battling injury concerns on Tuesday night as she appeared to aggravate her groin during the team’s 85-77 win over the Connecticut Sun. The timing couldn’t be worse, as All-Star Weekend festivities are just days away in Indianapolis, where Clark is set to participate in both the 3-point contest and captain her All-Star team in front of her home crowd.
Clark exited the game with just under 40 seconds remaining, clearly in discomfort after clutching her right thigh. The Fever were holding a comfortable 84-77 lead at that point, and Clark did not return. Head coach Stephanie White confirmed postgame that Clark “felt a little something in her groin” and would undergo further evaluation. No additional details were made available, but the incident raises concerns about her availability for the upcoming All-Star events.
The injury scare comes during a stretch where Clark has been working her way back from the same groin issue. Tuesday’s matchup marked only her fourth game back after missing five games due to the injury. While her performance showed flashes of her signature grit and late-game heroics, her overall night was marked by struggles on offense.
Clark faced stiff defensive pressure from the Sun and had a rough shooting night, hitting just 4 of 14 shots from the field and only 1 of 7 from beyond the arc. She missed her first five field goal attempts of the second half and didn’t score after halftime until midway through the fourth quarter. However, when it mattered most, she stepped up — scoring nine consecutive points to help seal the win for Indiana. In total, Clark finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and a game-high 7 assists, along with 5 turnovers.
It was another gritty performance that showcased Clark’s ability to impact the game beyond scoring, but it also underlined her ongoing physical limitations as she recovers from injury. With the All-Star break approaching, many will now wonder whether Clark should rest rather than push through for the sake of the 3-point contest and exhibition game.
She wasn’t the only Fever player who had a quiet night offensively. Fellow All-Star Aliyah Boston managed only 11 points and didn’t register her first field goal until the third quarter. Fortunately for Indiana, veterans Natasha Howard (18 points) and Kelsey Mitchell (20 points) carried the offensive load, allowing the team to notch an important win in front of a packed TD Garden crowd of over 19,000 fans in Boston.
This latest Fever-Sun contest was notably more civil than their last meeting on June 17, which was marred by scuffles, a hard foul on Jacy Sheldon by Sophie Cunningham, and three ejections. That game spiraled after a physical altercation involving Clark, who had been poked in the eye and then shoved to the floor. The WNBA later upgraded Marina Mabrey’s shove on Clark to a flagrant 2 foul. Thankfully, Tuesday night’s game was free from such chaos, shifting all focus to Clark’s health and performance.
Now sitting at 12-10, the Fever hold the fifth-best record in the WNBA and are just three games behind the East-leading New York Liberty. Their final game before the break comes on Wednesday against that same Liberty squad — but it remains to be seen whether Clark will be in uniform. Given her recent setback, the Fever may opt to prioritize
her long-term health over a single marquee matchup or weekend showcase.