Caitlin Clark won't be uniform tonight for the third matchup against the Dallas Wings due to her nagging groin injury. Players get hurt in professional sports, so, of course, it's not her fault. I'm sure that if she could be out there, she would be. But that doesn't make it any less disappointing for fans in D-Town who were looking forward to watching their star rookie face off against the WNBA's darling.
It's the second time Clark has missed her standoff against Paige Bueckers in Dallas. Fans won't get a chance to see her live until next season, pushing a very highly anticipated visitor back an entire year. It's disheartening to say the least, but Wings Nation will surely show up and make their presence felt regardless. They love their team, and rear ends will be firmly planted in seats at the American Airlines Center.
What's crazy about the whole thing is that Caitlin was healthy enough to play against the Wings in Indiana on July 13 and made a huge impact, securing a double-double and helping her team blow Dallas' doors off. That Fever crowd is as rowdy as it gets, though. That's one of the best home court advantages in the league. Tonight, the Wings can get some payback.
The Wings still have a tough task on their hands
When Clark missed the first game on June 27 in the D, the women still found themselves in a knockdown, dragout battle. They lost that game 94-86, despite Bueckers' explosive night. She dropped 27 points, dished out six assists, stole the ball twice, and blocked two shots. It was a special performance from the first-year guard, but it was all for naught.
Kelsey Mitchell's 32 points negated Paige's output, and Aliyah Boston poured in another 21 points on 9/14 shots. It was just too much for the shorthanded Wings to overcome. Their best perimeter defender, DiJonai Carrington, was out that game, and they were just getting JJ Quinerly more involved.
This time should be much different, as this is the healthiest that Coach Chris Koclanes' ball club has been all year. They may have lost a close game that they should have won to the Atlanta Dream, but that happens when you're adjusting to so much so late in the season. They took down the New York Liberty at the beginning of the week, though, so that's encouraging.
Tonight provides another opportunity for one of the youngest teams in the league to impress. But they'll have to be locked in from the beginning, even without CC in the lineup.