Preseason is finally here, but the Fever will have to face their first opponent, the Washington Mystics, without Caitlin Clark. Clark was ruled out with a leg injury.
While it is unfortunate that Fever fans will not get to see Clark suit up and she will miss out on a first chance to step onto the court with her new teammates, the injury shouldn’t be a cause for panic. Clark said before the game that it was “just a little tightness” in her leg.
In that case, she should be good to go soon, likely for the Fever’s matchup against the Brazilian national team at her Alma Mater. It is difficult to imagine that Clark won’t suit up for a game in Iowa, even if she only plays little compared to her regular season minutes.
Preseason is a chance to build chemistry, implement new systems, and get back into game shape. It is not worth risking players’ health for, though. The Fever seem to merely want to be careful with their star player and make sure that she is in top shape for the regular season.
There is no reason for Fever fans to worry at the moment. Clark should be back on the court soon enough.
The Fever need their stars healthy to compete for a championship
The Fever have made it abundantly clear that they want to compete for a championship this season. While they are well set up after a successful offseason, the Fever still have some catching up to do with other contenders like Minnesota, New York, and Las Vegas in terms of defense and team chemistry.
The Fever will have to face plenty of challenges throughout the season and will need all of their stars available as much as possible. Adding DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, and Sophie Cunningham provides the Fever with the depth necessary to make up for some short-term absences, but a long-term injury to one of their stars could negatively impact the team’s title chances.
So, it is understandable that they would want to be careful with Clark in the preseason. After all, Clark is the face of the franchise, the focal point of most offensive actions, and the player who draws the most attention to Indiana.
The Fever will suit up for their next preseason game on May 4, and fans should expect to see Clark make her debut then.